Krait book 08: More Marauders, More Malfoys
by slytherinsal
Summary: David Fraser has left Hogwarts, the Malfoy twins are in the upper sixth, and there are a plans afoot to remove the compulsions from house elves.  With the other marauders in the castle, mayhem and anarchy threaten to be litotic descriptions of the year
1. Chapter 1

_Well they all got away from me a little bit in this one. Dionne's ongoing tale was requested by someone who identified with her and as I had no other plans for her it worked in... and while I was doing that other characters, especially Lucius, slipped around behind my back and developed a whole plotline that I'd never considered. However as it gave me some very interesting people to play with, I forgave Lucius... So now I have a new major character in the school to follow. It's a slightly anarchic one, but then Hogwarts is a slightly anarchic sort of place..._

_The main plotline I DID intend, involving House Elf compulsions did not get disrupted, but Willow did take advantage of my preoccupation with it to do some of her own advantage taking...  
><em>

**Chapter 1**

Charlotte Malfoy – as everyone now styled her, accepting her as Lucius' other wife – felt much more confident now in the wizarding world; and next term her little girl Erica was due to start at Hogwarts!

Charlotte even had a wand that Lucius had taken her to buy; willow, thirteen inches, with a phoenix feather core. Charlotte thought it very suitable; her new life with Lucius was as great a rebirth as any phoenix arising from the ashes and she had learned how to bend, like willow, without breaking. Her abilities might not be great, but she was more than a pure muggle. Erica's father had obviously had an instinct for picking girls with some ability even if it was not high. And would never have been, enough – and Charlotte accepted this happily – to get her past a WOMBAT to even pass for education in the wizarding world. Before the institution of Rowan House that is of course.

Charlotte however did possess a single talent in the wizarding world which would have given her a job – with training – had she not been busy being the other Madam Malfoy; she was a talented artist and she had readily picked up the concept of using magical paints to bring paintings to life. And she had studied enough potioneering to permit her to grind and make her own paints with that touch of magic. She had just finished a second painting of Cosmo Malfoy, the long dead part goblin whose primary portrait she had painted for the Marauders who had found his body and wanted a painting of him for their secret room. Charlotte still found it amazing that portraits of dead people had a connection to their souls and would wander from portrait to portrait; so that this picture of Cosmo could take a message to the Marauders via their painting, or just tell them how things were going in Malfoy Manor. Equally he could ask for Lucius to lend aid – or a few Galleons, which was more likely for teenage boys – to the group.

She was also busy painting a picture of a vase full of the new flower 'Severia' that had been created by Lucius' talented niece Krait for her then guardian, now husband, Severus; its scent was soothing and healing and Charlotte intended it as a gift to St Mungo's hospital's ward for the incurably insane. Having suffered depression after the tribulations of her own life, before Lucius had rescued her, Charlotte had every sympathy for those with severe mental disorders and had painted a window behind the vase, to waft the scent into the room. She absently added a small herd of unicorns, guaranteed to lift the spirit, to gallop past in the distance, manes flying and hooves making a noise like gentle rain on the soft turf. That was the main talent in painting magical pictures; imagination. And Knowledge; she had smelled Severia flowers and kept them by her for days before even starting. As with painting portraits, it helped to know the subject; and she had read Cosmo's diary before painting him to get to know him.

She put down her brush.

"Seffy, you can clean up now, thank you" she said to the hovering house elf. Having servants – slaves really – had taken some getting used to; but with Lucius' freedom from control the elves preferred safe slavery to scary freedom. Lucius was working on that; though pushing them to accept freedom was in part, Charlotte suspected, the snob value of having all his elves in paid employment and clad in livery rather than wearing, according to the custom of house elves, monogrammed tea towels.

"Mistress Charlotte is a VERY good artist!" squeaked Seffy admiringly. "The pretty flowers make Seffy feel very good!"

"Thank you Seffy" said Charlotte. "I've nearly finished now; just some details when that layer dries. But I have to go up to town now for the master."

Lucius had asked her if she felt confident to check a property of his in the rather insalubrious Obscura Alley. The apartment block was as the better end of the road so Charlotte felt no qualms. She was to take Erica and also Nathan, their adopted son who was Erica's half brother by some other unfortunate girl, now dead: and Bella. Bella was Narcissa's sister and from what little Charlotte knew had been seduced in the cruellest fashion by Voldemort and made into a monster before Krait ripped away all her memories from after the age of about three and she and Severus had brewed a potion to match the girl's body to her mind. Narcissa had seen the memories Krait had placed in the Pensieve and had withdrawn all objections to what Krait had done; and had never spoken of it save to say viciously that she was glad even more that Voldemort was dead. Bella called them all by their first names; but was essentially a daughter to them all. Bella – properly, Bellatrix – was apparently a year younger than Erica and a couple of years older than Nathan.

And it was four years since Voldemort had been killed by Harry Potter and Narcissa's oldest son Draco had helped him; and they had a nursery full of children who one day would be at Hogwarts with Draco's own son – for it was possible that his wife Grace might never carry another child to term after the troubles she had over Edward.

Charlotte went to kiss her younger children goodbye, Drogo at three and a half a little snippy that he was not to come, fifteen month old twins Honor and Hope too busy playing some complex game with their half sister Lucasta, at nearly three busy bossing them into being winged horses for her to drive, and firmly ignoring the only recently mobile Andromeda who paradoxically would be in the same school year with them. There was a bigger difference between eight months and fifteen months than between fifteen months and nearly three; the main difference being communication.

It was nice that Andromeda was named as a gesture of reconciliation to Narcissa's own sister who had been struck off the family tree for marrying a muggleborn wizard.

Charlotte dislodged Drogo from where he clung to her leg.

"Daddy will expect you to learn when you're a bit older" she said "But it is Nathan's turn to be the man of the family to take care of mummy. Why don't you play nicely with your sisters?"

"'cos I said we ought to have a nice whip to crack to make them go faster an' Casta hit me" said Drogo.

"A trifle drastic but I'm sure she was just afraid you'd accidentally hit them" said Charlotte.

Narcissa gave a dry smile.

"If I know little boys it wouldn't have been by accident but 'just to see what would happen' she said "I told Lucasta off for hitting her brother but Drogo doesn't think it's a manly enough game. He's sulking because the clock doesn't go fast enough until Draco promised to play with him."

"Oh is that why you're being stroppy is it?" said Charlotte to her son. "And asking to go with me when you've already promised to play with Draco? Do I have to be ashamed of my boy being so rude as to cry off a previous engagement?"

Drogo shuffled.

"I'll go and build a castle" he said and took himself over to the box of building blocks.

The Madams Malfoy caught each others' eye and grinned conspiratorially.

They were strictly impartial with each other's children; because Lucius wished it and because they had learned to love each other too.

Nathan held Charlotte's hand tight as they disembarked from the silver Rolls Royce and walked firmly through the railway bridge wall in Dalling Road to get into Obscura Alley. Jark the goblin had driven them; their muggle driver, Dudley Dursley had compassionate leave as his wife Valerie had just given birth a little early to their first son Marius – named for Val's squib grandfather – one reason Dudley's older son Harry was not around to play with Drogo. Harry was going to be in Lucasta's year at school but Drogo was old enough to prefer a boy to play with. Nathan had to put up with older sisters; there were no boys around his age unless cousins were staying.

He was pretending hard to himself, Charlotte thought, that he was taking care of mummy – and he had been young enough when they had acquired him to think of her as mummy – so he did not feel nervous.

No fears of nervousness for Erica and Bella dancing ahead, hand in hand, both self-contained and self confident little girls.

Obscura Alley had an air of greyness, of not being ever quite clean. There were several large houses on the left before the even larger apartment building; the ones on the right were smaller but seemed impressed with themselves over their own self conscious respectability.

The largest house on the left had grounds too and Charlotte had been told by Lucius that it was owned by the Goblin crime lord Kordach, who was trying to establish himself as respectable.

A small girl about Erica's age was swinging on the gate and jumped down at the approach of the two; she was rather on the small and slight side, but then she appeared to be a half goblin, a pretty child, as David Fraser's half goblin fiancée was pretty.

"Hello!" she said to Erica and Bella "Are you going to be starting Hogwarts in September?"

"I am" said Erica "Bella's not up 'til next year. Are you?"

The girl nodded.

"Yes, I'm Anastasia Preston, mum says I'm to use her name. Most people call me Stacey."

"Well it's less of a mouthful" said Erica "I'm Erica Malfoy and this is my cousin Bella Black. We have another cousin called Nymphadora so Anastasia really isn't that bad."

Stacey giggled.

"How old's she?"

"Oh she's grown up! Everyone calls her Tonks, and she has a little boy the same age as our Drogo and a baby girl who leaks a lot."

"I've got four brothers and sisters, two of each" said Stacey "well, half siblings" she added a little defensively.

"Yes, I've got lots of half siblings" said Erica "My dad has two wives."

"Oh my dad has one wife and a succession of mistresses" said Stacey.

"Well I guess the important thing is that he keeps track of his kids" said Erica.

An expensive looking woman came up the alley, her honey gold hair neatly coiffured. Erica noted her clothing was expensive, but the robe just a trifle vulgar in its cut, and trimmed with figured velvet more than was tasteful.

"Stacey! What are you doing talking to children you don't know? You don't know where they might have been!" she said.

Charlotte narrowed her eyes and came forward.

"Ah, Miss Preston I believe, one of Kordach's….ladies aren't you?"

The woman looked haughty.

"And who might you be?"

"Your landlord's other wife" said Charlotte coldly. "But I take it you don't care for your daughter to have a friendship with a Malfoy child? It is not her illegitimate status I presume, for people in glass houses should not cast stones."

Miss Preston was rapidly looking for a way to backpeddle.

She tried to pass it off with a laugh.

"Oh but now I know who your dear little girl is and her friend obviously of equal status I have no objections! But one never knows who one might meet…"

Charlotte gave her a look of dislike.

"Quite" she said.

Charlotte was the discarded mistress of the unpleasant Jonathon Malfoy, Erica's and Nathan's father: who had not treated his ex mistresses well. Kordach by all accounts pampered any of his women who had given him a child – and this witch's attire confirmed this – but Charlotte did NOT like her manner.

"I'm sure the girls will be such good friends!" gushed Miss Preston. Stacey was looking acutely uncomfortable.

"I expect they will all make up their minds who will be friends with whom on their own without interference one way or the other from their elders" said Charlotte. "Whoever my Erica decides to be friends with is quite all right with me; it's so vulgar, is it not, to judge on first appearances or blood status or wealth; the sort of thing the Parkinsons and Burkes and other such low life do."

"I don't like Dympna Burke" said Stacey "She lives in Obscura Alley too. She's a real Blood snob."

"My cousin Jade's in her class" said Erica "And she says the only thing Burke is good for is jinx-targeting practice."

They looked at each other and smiled thoughtful smiles.

"And I don't get to make a nuisance of myself on the express for a whole 'nother year" said Bella mournfully.

In point of fact, Jade and her sister Lydia were actually Erica's and Nathan's half sisters too, Jonathon Malfoy having got about rather; but being the adopted daughters of Severus and Krait Snape, most people had forgotten this fact and though Erica had been told when first she became Lucius' daughter she had long since firmly forgotten anything but that her daddy was Lucius Malfoy.

"Well. I have to inspect the building for my husband" said Charlotte brightly "Have you any complaints Miss Preston? We think our agent is quite honest but these little checks from time to time keep him in line."

"I – no, everything is perfectly to my satisfaction. Er, thank you" she added belatedly.

"Excellent" said Charlotte. "You children may play with Stacey, if her mother is willing, once you have been with me to a few apartments, and I will give you money to go to the ice cream stall."

"I'm not allowed to play in the street" said Stacey.

"Oh well, in the company of nice girls I'm sure there can be no objection" said Miss Preston. Stacey nearly fell over in surprise!

"Please, ma'am, may your son play with us?" Stacey's next oldest half brother asked. He was older than Nathan but with two younger sisters and his little brother no older than Drogo, Charlotte could see why he was eager.

"If Nathan would like; and if your father does not mind" said Charlotte.

"I'll go and ask" said the boy, running off.

He was soon back with permission – Charlotte was NOT surprised – and Nathan was very happy to run off to play!

Charlotte just wanted the girls to get a feel for what to look for before she let them leave looking for cracked plaster or any air of desolation in the stairwell.

Then she relented.

Erica found the alley fascinating; and not a bit like the cleaner though still bustling Diagon Alley. There was an air of prosperity in Diagon Alley, even in the smaller shops. The shops here, some of them, looked as though the proprietors hung on to business by the skin of their teeth. Except the pawnbroker. He was a big, expansive looking man with a big, expansive looking shop.

Two adult goblins with wives and families were shouting at each other in an unrestrained way; a little girl about their own age with a terrible squint looked at Stacey and pulled a rueful face. A lad who seemed to be her little brother threw in the occasional comment that seemed to be fuelling the fire.

"Little horror, right little Mercutio" said Erica.

"That's Danzo; the girl with the squint is Jazka, and Dad is sponsoring her to go to Hogwarts so there's someone I know" said Stacey. "Her family and Eregar's have been feuding forever."

Erica wandered over.

"Hello, I'm Erica, and this is Bella; Stacey says you're coming with us – well not Bella, she's too young – to Hogwarts?"

Jazka nodded.

"May I try something to help your eye?" said Erica "I don't have a wand yet but I do some stuff by other means."

"Can you? They said at St Mungo's that it wasn't worth doing as I see all right."

Erica frowned.

"I wonder if that was true, or just casual racism again?" she said. "Well, if I try and it doesn't work we'll see what happens if my DAD takes you there. Hold on."

Erica got out her sketch pad and started drawing.

"How's that going to help?" said Jazka.

"It's painting magic" said Erica "I found I could change the colours of flowers by painting them as they were, then changing things and concentrating in a certain way; so I have to draw you with your eye on the huh, then change it a bit at a time to make it straight."

"Oh, all right" said Jazka.

The grown ups rowing were ignoring them; but the boy Danzo came over.

"Cor, that's good" he said "But if you're mocking my sister I'll hang one on you."

"I'm trying to help. Shh" said Erica.

"Erica's awfully clever" said Bella "Her mum's a brilliant artist, and Erica is going to be as good. Or better!"

Erica completed the portrait; then, tongue protruding with effort, started changing the eye. Jazka cried out and put her hand up to her eye.

"Am I hurting?" asked Erica.

"N- no, but it feels queer."

"Well it would if I'm pulling it back into shape, wouldn't it?" said Erica, practically "Tell me if it hurts."

Jazka nodded obediently; and tried not to squeak.

"Jazka is one of the people mummy doesn't like me playing with" said Stacey conversationally "But she can't stop daddy having the family over to play. But Tokar saved his life once so he likes to look out for the family. That's Jazzy's dad."

"Kordach's good to us" said Danzo "Dad can't get work because he was in the riot that flared up after Tobak was killed."

"What happened?" said Erica, curious despite her concentration.

"There was a protest – peaceful too – after Voldemort died" said Jazka "And Tobak was making the demands to the ministry man, who told him to go away and the crowd to disperse; and Tobak said that they had every right to ask and the ministry man killed him, right there in front of his son. He's our age is Gorbrin gan Tobak; his mum's never had anything to do with Kordach, and he sells potions to help keep her and the younger ones. She's got a job but I guess they're poorer than us."

"That's all wrong" said Erica. "Is he any good at making potions? Uncle Severus always likes to check out promising potioneers."

"Well you get better after his pepperup potion" said Jazka. "I say… the world looks a little queer but…."

"Crumbs!" said Stacey peering at her "I say, Jazzy, you're really rather pretty now!"

"COOL!" said Danzo. "Hey, Erica, you're something else!"

"Oh, let's look in the mirror in the pawnbroker's!" said Jazka, dragging Erica by one hand and Stacey by the other.

And she peered with straight eyes at her symmetrical reflection; then burst into tears and wrapped her arms round Erica's neck.

"I say" said Erica, hugging her decorously back "It's no big deal – for me. I mean, I find it easy. Shall we go have an ice-cream?"

And so they did.

"There's Dympna Burke" said Stacey in disgust "With a minder too, since she got beaten up by kids last year. A half troll minder against kids, that's overkill."

"Oh I thought that was her father" qipped Bella.

They fell about laughing.

"You rotten guttersnipes!" shouted Dympna "If you were at school with me I'd show you a thing or two but you're all too poor!"

"Ya reckon, do ya, trollface?" called Bella.

"Hah, if oiks like YOU ever go to Hogwarts, I'M leaving!" said Dympna "It should be for good families only!"

"Ya hear that, Erica?" said Bella "She doesn't think much of our families!"

"A shame" said Erica "But she's already got so many of our cousins at Hogwarts, I wonder she survived the shame of being taught by your cousin Sirius or my aunt Krait or having to be in a class with my cousins Jade and Aurelia. It must be so hard for the noble berks to have to rough it with Malfoys and Blacks and Yaxleys. Poor little darling, and her living in the BEST part of the city too, not some rough slum like Bayswater where cousin Jade lives."

Dympna flushed.

"You're lying!" she said "You've found information out is all you little guttersnipe, no Malfoy or Black would be here!"

"Well, apart from when we're inspecting daddy's apartment, or my brother Draco in his capacity as an auror, or my cousins Hawke and Abraxus setting up the free school for those who have more academic merit than filthy lucre from whatever grubby practices made your father rich" said Erica scornfully "Is that your brother with you? I fancy I see a resemblance."

"'Ere, you lay off my bosses girl" growled the half troll.

"Or what? You'll attack me out of hand? What do you think you are? You're a body guard; and I'm not touching her body – yet. On the Express, that's different. And you won't be there anyway, Mr Troll. WE didn't ask to talk to Babyface Burke; she made remarks at us. And if you ask me, it's awf'ly childish for a girl who'll be in the middle school to be offensive to weevils, and if she had any kind of dignity it'd be below it. Now here's my mummy Burke so go away before you irritate her too."

Dympna Burke retreated – annoying either one of Lucius Malfoy's women, muggle or witch, would not be healthy from the point of view of having Lucius Malfoy annoyed.

Erica poured out the story of the killing of Tobak. Charlotte listened in horror.

"What, he just killed him without this Tobak lifting a wand or hand against him?" she said.

"Wand? People won't sell us goblins WANDS" said Jazka.

"Well how are you supposed to do spells then?" said Charlotte "It's been law for years that Goblins can own wands, regardless of whether they've been through Hogwarts, it was one of the first pronouncements made by the new government! All right, allowing for him not having a wand, then, without raising a hand?"

"Tobak, they say, put out a hand – palm up – to emphasise a point" put in Stacey "And the guy blasted him with his wand, big green flash and he's dead."

"And in front of his child? That's disgusting!" said Charlotte. "Erica, we can't do anything just now, but we'll talk to daddy. Where do er, Gorbrin and his family live?"

"In a tenement in Umbrous Place North. It's rather a rough neighbourhood; we live there too" volunteered Jazka. "Kordach'd pay for us to move, but dad likes the neighbours, and Eregar moved out and that's one thing they quarrel about 'cos Eregar got snotty for going more up market and dad reckons he got the money doing jobs for the Grubbe brothers what are in Azkaban."

"I can see why your father takes issues with him then" said Charlotte gravely. "I think I like your family's integrity. I'll ask my husband to come and give a WOMBAT test to Gorbrin if he's your age; after all, Lucius IS a school governor and is entitled to do so. And if he thinks it worthwhile he'll sponsor him to Hogwarts; and if not, he'll see he goes to Rowan House instead. And he'll look into the killing of the boy's father too."

Charlotte knew that if the boy could brew competent potions he had a good chance of being accepted at Hogwarts by Severus; but she would not hold out any promises. This was on the assessment of a little girl only; and Charlotte knew too how little she herself knew.

Lucius too was inclined to be cautious.

"Without being racist, it is a story told about an outrage against a goblin by goblins" he said "It seems a trifle far fetched that this Tobak was entirely in the right; but I will look into it. It is, in any case, a shame for the blameless boy – as it is for this child Jazka's father to be without work – and when I have found out all I may I shall do my best to redress wrongs. Suit you, pumpkin?" he said to Erica.

Erica nodded solemnly.

"My daddy is the best in the world at sorting things out!" she said, hugging him.

Lucius laughed and hugged her back.

"He does his best!" he said.

A couple of days later, Lucius returned from the ministry looking grim.

"The report filed by Samuel Block is entirely at odds with the goblin story" he said "For he says that Tobak went to attack him."

"Is he telling the truth though?" said Erica.

"That's what I'm not certain about" said Lucius "And for the stories to differ so much, to put down Tobak as 'viciously going for me and trying to wrench my wand away' seems too….well, from making demands, to suddenly attacking seems unlikely. Block writes that he asked the crowd to disperse then the goblin subsequently identified as being named Tobak went berserk."

"He still didn't have to kill him" said Charlotte "He could have tied him up, or knocked him out. And I thought the spell with the big green flash was one people weren't supposed to use?"

"Big green flash? Are you sure?" Lucius' eyes went narrow.

"It was a hearsay description" said Charlotte "But why would it be made up?"

"Yeeees" said Lucius "Why indeed. Block claims to have used a blasting curse and claims that Tobak must have had a weak heart or something. Suddenly I think I'm starting to really disbelieve Samuel Block. This Tokar was there you say? I'll have someone have a word with him. In fact… I'll go and see him myself."

Lucius found Tokar truculent and unwilling to talk at first.

"Tokar" said Lucius bluntly "Your little girl and my little girl will be at school together; being civil seems therefore to be a nice idea from their point of view, quarrels between parents disturb the friendships of children. And it is over something they were discussing that I want your testimony. With which, if what I think happened did happen, your taking part in a fight would be excusable – even laudable – and would enable me to have you removed from the ministry blacklist and anyone you know from the same incident. All I want is for you to describe the immediate facts of what led up to Tobak's death and any physical manifestations of the spell that caused it."

Tokar regarded Lucius thoughtfully.

"That was your little girl then what cured my Jazzy's squint?"

"I don't know; she was too upset about the murder of a father of eight to mention that" said Lucius. "If so, I didn't realise she was so talented; she doesn't even have a wand yet."

"Jazzy said she did it by drawing. She drew it like it was, then she made the drawing right and it made the eye right."

"Erica is a very talented artist; I've never heard of such a thing. Thank you for telling me this; I was already proud of her but – well! It's like hearing she's won the Triwizard or something!" Lucius beamed.

"Ar, our little girls are precious to us… Tobak's no less to him. All right. He was telling this ministry fool that with goblins at Hogwarts fighting Voldemort, and with promises that we should have more rights, we didn't ought to have been kicked out of Diagon Alley when some of us went to buy wands. And the ministry man said that it was preposterous and that nobody had ever meant goblins to have wands as a general thing."

"That was a lie" said Lucius "Goblins were declared wand carriers in council. I was there. Actually I proposed the bill; and it carried very successfully, only a few voted against it and they were people I shouldn't mind kicking anyway. One has to accept a few idiots if one sets up the rules to try to be fair."

"Well, that's what he said. And Tobak said he was wrong. And he went purple and said he's not stand for cheek like that and he hit Tobak. And we all muttered and Tobak said 'why do that if you know you have the right of it?' and the ministry man told us to go home, get out and go away. He was pretty shrill and hysterical, I think us muttering had scared him. And Tobak reached out a hand and said 'look, shake and we'll forget the blow, we don't have to be at odds' and he stepped back and pointed his wand and there was this green flash and Tobak fell down dead."

"I see" said Lucius, grimly. "Would you be prepared to put that in writing and sign your name to it?"

Tokar looked wary.

"Look, I have some protection from Kordach, but the way that ministry fellow is always down here finding regulations he can make out Tanjela – that's Tobak's widow – is breaking, on account of her filing a complaint that her husband's killing was unlawful, I don't want to have the same thing happen."

Lucius sighed.

"My young friend David Fraser is often quoting the saying that for evil to triumph, all it needs is for good men to remain silent. If you will not write an account, and try to persuade others you know to write an account, I will not have enough proof to put this man in Azkaban."

The goblin's long ears came up.

"AZKABAN? You reckon you can? That – that the wizgamot will care about the murder of a goblin? They sent people to say it was a tragic accident that Tobak must of had a weak heart!"

"There are reasons that I do not believe that" said Lucius "But only by telling your story as fully as you told me with others who can corroborate a certain particular fact in it can I get the little creep put away. Even the wizgamot is not without its prejudice though I doubt they realise it."

"Well, I'll talk to people" said Tokar, cautiously "If YOU take charge of the depositions. Mr Malfoy, and see the wizgamot gets them direct, not through channels that are cronies of this fellow."

"That I can guarantee" said Lucius, who had also done a little legilimensy – Draco had taught him – to verify this goblin's story.

Had Samuel Block confessed to losing it, panicking and striking to kill he might have been harder to tie down. But with his story a whole tissue of lies, Lucius had him.

He had just to talk to the widow and the boy Gorbrin.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Knowing from Erica that Tanjela had a job, Lucius went to visit in the evening, having obtained a precise description of how to find the apartment in the tenement. This end of the Umbrous Alley complex was filled with rambling stone and brick tenements of four to eight stories and few if any identifying numbers. You could only easily find any particular family if you knew where to look and he had cheated over Tokar by using a locate spell on the picture of Jazka to give him a starting point. And that had only worked because it was a portrait drawn from life not a photograph!

Lucius felt eyes on him, watching suspiciously. Most eyes were bright, hard, unfriendly goblin eyes, he felt sure; and the skin on the back of his neck crawled.

Only fear of reprisals kept some of them from attacking him on principle, he felt sure; as a symbol of oppression, a wizard. They could not know that he had become interested in goblin rights through his nephews' friendship with the goblin boy Kinat.

He knocked on what he hoped was the right door.

The goblin woman who opened it was stunningly beautiful; even by human standards. Her nose was delicate and ran more to the aquiline than the long, giving her an aristocratic distinction. Her eyes were large, almond shaped and like liquid jet; her mouth generous without being overly sensual and her light brown skin of flawless texture. She would have been even lovelier had she not worn an expression of deep suspicion.

"Yes?" she said.

"I'm a school governor from Hogwarts" said Lucius "I'm told you have a son who might be worthy of a scholarship."

"By whom?"

"Several kids my daughter will be going to school with" said Lucius "A, er, Stacey something or other, Kordach's girl and Jazka gan Tokar."

Tanjela laughed. It was a pretty laugh.

"What, the mighty wizard recalls Jazka'z name but cannot recall the human woman's surname?"

Lucius shrugged.

"My wife – mistress I suppose most call her – didn't think much to Kordach's discarded bit of totty" he said "I remember the names of people I like and people I loathe. Nonentities I forget."

Tanjela regarded him anew. It was honest at least. A handsome man too…. And knew it probably. But referred to his mistress as his wife before amending it.

"You'd better come in" she said.

The boy was hovering pugnaciously, protectively.

"Gorbrin?" Lucius held out a hand. Warily, surprised the boy started to extend his; then froze.

"Excuse me sir" he said "But I've seen a handshake used as an excuse to kill before."

"What Samuel Block did to your father? Yes I know about it, lad; and I'm investigating it too" said Lucius.

"Why?" said Tanjela.

"Because I object to people who use the ministry red tape and use the prejudices and casual racism of their fellows to get away with murder" said Lucius. "I don't like people who use. I have my own reasons. And, frankly, if Block had put his hands in the air to having panicked, I'd have tried to negotiate a civil settlement which, whilst it would not have brought your husband back would have acknowledged a fault without too much potential for acrimony and further trouble. As he lied about a deliberate murder I am going to have him put away – if I can get enough people ready to testify what they saw."

"I'll testify" said Gorbrin.

"And that makes you a brave boy; but I fear that as you were so young, and emotionally involved, without the testimony of others it may not be taken as much notice of as from adults."

"Torlo, who lives next door, was right beside us" said Gorbrin "He got me home. His son Jardak's my age, we're friends. He helps me brew potions to sell, so we can maybe afford to go to the new school Rowan House."

"Well, perhaps I'd better test him as well as you" said Lucius "If he's good enough for Rowan House there are a few discretionary scholarships; and if he's good enough for Hogwarts, likewise. But why don't you tell me about your father first; and then I'll talk to Torlo."

"All right sir."

Gorbrin stumbled through his story; it differed slightly from Tokar's in detail, there were things the boy did not really remember. But he did recall the main essential.

"There was this awful, blinding green flare!" he said "It blinded me for a moment and when it cleared into a red mist I could see through it daddy on the ground and he wasn't moving. And - and the crowd went wild, and the wandwallah disappeared – apparated I suppose – and Torlo grabbed me by the hand one side and Jardak the other and hauled us out of there. It took a while to sink in; I wanted to go back for dad, I didn't realise straight away he was dead."

He was crying; and Lucius drew him automatically into his arms as he would any of his own children. The boy stiffened; then laid his head on Lucius' arm and sobbed his heart out.

"This is the first time he's cried" said Tanjela, tears standing in her own eyes "He had to be the man of the house, he said."

"Madam Bral Tobak believe me I shall see that he does not fight that battle alone" swore Lucius. "You have a job I understand?"

She nodded.

"I work for a factory owner, Harris Warrington. He's a git but it's pay, even if I'm not paid for all that I do."

Lucius raised an eyebrow.

She shrugged.

"I was taken on as office gopher when Tobak was murdered; fair enough. Then he got a bun in the oven of his secretary, poor silly little thing, she believed he'd marry her. He's married and with enough connections not to even consider divorcing – his wife's a relation of the Yaxleys no less. So I've been doing her job. Not for the same pay, mark you; and certainly I am not prepared to believe the half promise that I'll get more pay if I also took on her extracurricular activities, because I'm not that sort of woman anyway."

"You have to grant that whatever sort of greasy toad he may be he has taste, Madam Bral Tobak" said Lucius. "You are a beautiful woman."

"And I don't put it around – to anyone" said Tanjela, firmly, wishing that he did not make her blush when she caught his eye.

Gorbrin raised his face.

"I-I'm sorry sir"

"Don't be; I have no doubt it did you the world of good. When things have been intolerable I have myself found sometimes that a good cry gets your emotions sorted out and gives you strength to go on."

"You have cried sir?" Gorbrin could scarcely believe it.

"Voldemort enslaved my mind once" said Lucius softly "And through that I found that I could lose the love of –at the time – my only son. Your father did not leave you willingly. My son was debating cutting me out of his life because of the things I believed, the way I was letting myself be used. Instead, the bond between us was enough for him to free me from an enslavement so vile and insidious I did not even know I was a slave; Voldemort learned his lessons by watching the unthinking obedience of house elves and planted compulsions…. I have murdered people and believed I chose to do so to show my supremacy. I was wrong and I have made reparation where I can. I cannot claim the imperius curse, for the curse was more subtle than that and worked into my psyche from the age of about fourteen as with so many of my fellows in Slytherin house. I have wept for almost losing my son, for what had been done to me, in remorse for what I had done in the throes of my beliefs. I have learned new beliefs; and I have learned that the casual inequalities, the believing of convenient lies based on prejudice, these are worse in the long term than a thoroughgoing evil like Voldemort – though he has much to answer for in fostering prejudices – because they are things done by people who would think of themselves as good, honest, ordinary people. The sort of people who read the 'Daily Prophet' about a riot in which there are goblins and shake their heads over how these violent goblins just can't live with decent people – without wondering who started it and what provocations their were and were they jinxed with wands just to taunt them. It's so petty; and I hate petty." He laughed "My niece once said to me that if I was going to be an evil dictator she could almost accept that because at least I'd do it efficiently, not in a petty sort of way like Voldemort. She was turning me inside out with her wand at the time so I can't vouch for the precise words but that was the gist. And that was when she and my son discovered what was inside my head; and I asked for help to escape from evil. I don't know why I'm telling you this."

"Thank you for doing so sir" said Gorbrin "Do you think that Mr Block is likely to feel remorse then? I find myself really rather sceptical, he takes every opportunity he can to persecute us."

"That's his guilty conscience wanting to put you in the wrong for wanting justice" said Lucius cynically "Allied with the thought that if he can show you to be lawbreakers, your testimony against him won't be worth anything. Petty, you see? No, I don't expect him to feel remorse. He's busy telling himself he did the right thing to deal with a dangerous goblin subversive and just because he did not perhaps do it according to the rules, well, it was right. I never did anything I believed was right, I did what I did because I wanted power and because it accorded with the way I felt things should be. That is NOT the same as believing they were right. People who believe they are right and especially people who do what they do because it's for the good of others are the most dangerous – and usually the most obnoxious – people there are. I do what I do because I believe in it. People who are clever and powerful ought to be in charge; and what their race is ought to be immaterial. I am arrogant, selfish, self opinionated, exceedingly clever and very good at pushing people around. I believe my family ought to have a lot of power because we've been good at wielding it, but I also believe that we have to prove that every day. Society needs a rule of law and by helping to enforce that rule of law I prove my right to be a power in the realm. Don't ever make the mistake of thinking that I'm nice or altruistic just because I've managed to escape from being evil."

"I think you're a good man" said Gorbrin.

"SHH! My reputation will suffer if you say terrible things like that!" said Lucius, ready to be flippant after having surprised himself into baring his soul rather. "Now – those tests!"

Gorbrin's performance on the WOMBAT tests surprised Lucius; and he demanded some of the boy's potions, which he tested by wand, smell and taste.

"They're perfectly all right sir" said Gorbrin "I got a second hand potions book that tells you what colour they ought to go and stuff; I always made sure they did, even if sometimes the number of stirs had to be different."

"My dear boy, so far as I can gather these are quite excellent potions; but I only achieved an 'E' at Newt Level – as for my Transfiguration – as it never was my best subject. I'll pay you for these – not fair not to – and take them to Professor Snape to assess."

"If – if they're good enough does that mean I have a chance at some education?" said Gorbrin, hungrily.

"Eh? Oh you won a scholarship to Hogwarts hands down" said Lucius "And if there aren't any left I'll pay for you myself, for you're far and away one of the most talented wizards I've ever seen for your age. Outside of my own kin and the Snape brood, anyway. Get your friend; and we'll see how he does."

In a daze Gorbrin went for his friend.

"What about us?" the voice came from one of the little faces watching round the door of the other room.

"Why, as you have a brother who has been accepted at Hogwarts, your places are assured by right" said Lucius. "A family who is a Hogwarts family is supported as much as they require. To whom am I speaking?"

Two identical goblin girls a year or so younger than Gorbrin, emerged.

"I'm Griselen and this is Genavka" said one "Then there's Zajala, and then Gennar, he's only seven, then the other twins, Zelinn and Zakala, and little Varjak who's four. He was born a few months before our daddy was killed. Do girl goblins get to go to Hogwarts too then?"

"Naturally" said Lucius "Why should they not?"

"'cos some men say girls are only of use to produce babies" said Griselen.

"Then they're probably afraid of being outshone because they're only little small minded people" said Lucius. "Good grief! If I said anything like that to my wives or daughters I'd have to flee from their righteous wrath!" he glanced over as the door opened. "Ah, Jardak?"

Jardak was doing a good job of not letting himself be intimidated by the presence of a tall imposing wizard in rich black robes; and thrust forward a hand.

"Evening, sir" he said "Gorbrin says you got some tests for me?"

Lucius shook the hand solemnly. The boy's studied aplomb reminded him a little of Kinat, and amused him.

This lad performed creditably. Not so well as Gorbrin but well enough. Lucius thought it would be good for the boy Gorbrin to have a friend with him; and as Jardak too had witnessed the killing of Tobak it would be well to have both of them safely in Hogwarts in case anyone decided to silence them.

He smiled his thin, austere smile.

"Well done, Jardak; you will be accompanying your friend to Hogwarts as you have managed to score well enough for a scholarship. I thought, Madam Bral Tobak, if my wives picked you up and the boys, if Jardak's mother would watch the younger ones, they might take you round Diagon Alley with the boys? I'll ask the head to arrange the grant money for equipment to be given to you through them. I'll come if I am able; duties you know."

"I – would they be so kind?" Tanjela was flustered.

"Oh I'm sure they will" said Lucius. "My girls have no side. Now, I need to speak with, ah, Torlo."

Torlo was willing to write a deposition about the killing of Tobak; he too told the same story, save he said merely

"And he pointed his wand and muttered some words and POOF that was that, and Tobak was dead."

"No reaction from the wand then? He just fell dead with no other sign that it was a spell?"

"O'course it were a spell sir! That thing spat green fire! I didn't mean the wand didn't do nuthin' only that there weren't anythink that Tobak could do."

"It is important to put anything like the description of a wand effect in any deposition" said Lucius "To be absolutely certain to show it was the wand work that killed him. The legal mind, you know."

"Oh…right" said Torlo.

"Can you remember the words he said?"

Torlo pulled a face.

"It was a bit garbled…and it's four year ago. Arvercarver or someat."

"Write that down too."

Torlo shot him a shrewd look.

"You knows somefink more than you're saying Mister, don't you?"

"I do, good Torlo; and what I know I'm continuing not to say so that your evidence is pure and unsullied by knowledge that you do not have access to. Believe me, if you write it as it is, Samuel Block is going to Azkaban."

"I'm glad to hear that" said Torlo grimly.

"Between you and me, and because it might take a little while, I'm glad your son passed so well" said Lucius "And I might have slipped him into Hogwarts anyway; Gorbrin mentioned that Jardak was a witness too."

"You mean – he's a mean little turd, but would he make away with childern?"

"Torlo, that is dependant on whether he sees them as children or just future goblin subversives" said Lucius "And even if he did see them as children, would he put his own safety above them? I'm not talking about a six month sentence here, I'm talking life. It's enough to make a man who has already shown himself to be unscrupulous and a liar act desperately. Plenty who are not even racist do not think of those not related to them as people, you know; just in terms of what they can do for them – or to cause them trouble."

Torlo paled.

"Well, sir, I'll not say you're not right. I know goblins like that, who'd sell their neighbour if it turned a quick galleon."

"One of the most enduring proofs – if anyone needed it – that people are people. We share the worst vices and the best virtues. Some of our lesser vices are slightly different; goblins are more interested in accruing wealth, humans are more interested in sex. In both it can…get out of hand."

"Now that's very interesting, and rather profound, if I may say so Mr – I never did get your name."

"Then the more kudos to you for trusting me to sort this…. It's Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy."

"Merlin's bollocks!" said Torlo.

Lucius laughed.

"I do confess a childish degree of pleasure in eliciting a response like that" he said.

"You got a muggle mistress, ain't you, Mr Malfoy?"

"I do. I think of her as a secondary wife however; NOT like Kordach's lovely, but ultimately temporary diversions."

"Right. I mean – well it prove you put your life where your mouth is about rights. That's all."

"I don't do it for that. I love Charlotte as well as Narcissa. It's Charlotte's oldest daughter your boy will be starting with; she's a nice child. Though of course I am biased. Take care yourself, by the way; I can't provide protection easily but I'll see that there are people hanging around. MY people will wear red scarves. No need to scare Madam Bral Tobak though I don't think?"

"No sir! But if she sees your people and wonders about them I'll make up a story about how I knows them."

"Good man" said Lucius who had every intention of hiring some of Kordach's more reliable thugs to watch for the safety of his witnesses.

He went to take his leave of Gorbrin and his mother and kissed her hand at the door.

She gasped; and their eyes met. She was blushing furiously.

"Madam Bral Tobak I would never disrespect my wives by failing to consult them on any matter" said Lucius softly. She flushed deeper.

"Do you think I'm…. I'm…."

"I think that something unlooked for and a shock to both of us has happened; and that to do anything in a hurry would be most inappropriate" said Lucius. "When the children are at school together we can discuss this further; you will want to know me better as a person and I, you; assuming even that my wives are willing for that. If not, it is better to have as little contact as possible."

She nodded, her eyes suddenly filling.

"I will see you and your family all right whatever happens between us" said Lucius, softly; and he was gone leaving Tanjela confused, aroused, and almost bruised from a sheer wash of emotion.

oOoOo

Lucius told his wives all about it.

"We're putting up the money for the boys' equipment of course?" said Narcissa.

Lucius nodded.

"No need to mention that though; they are the proud poor, willing to accept a scholarship. Girls, I need to talk seriously…."

"We're about to have a sister wife you mean?" said Charlotte calmly.

"Are you sure you're not a legilimens?" said Lucius.

"That got to you a little faster than it got to me, Lotti" said Narcissa.

"He spoke about how attractive she was and acted like a schoolboy with playboy – or playwizard here I suppose – in his trunk that he hoped Madam Pomfrey wouldn't find" said Charlotte.

"What a lovely description; quite true too" said Narcissa.

"It wasn't her beauty; it was her spirit and …. Well I don't really know" said Lucius.

"Cissy and I will want to meet her first" said Charlotte "I know you rather sprang me on Cissy but that was because you rescued me and it was for the sake of the children."

"We will try to love her for your sake Lucius" said Narcissa "But we need to get to know her."

"So do I" said Lucius "If you like her well enough. I – she – we – our eyes met at the door; it was almost like a kiss. She knows I shan't do anything without consulting you. I said I'd take care of her and her children anyway" he added almost defensively.

"He HAS got it bad" said Narcissa.

"Poor darling, we'd better rub it better then, hadn't we?" said Charlotte.

Narcissa giggled and they both advanced purposefully on their husband.

oOoOo

Dione Parnassus still had it badly too.

She begged Krait to let her come and stay and be Krait's midwife as Krait had been for her own rape-conceived daughter.

She loved Krait dearly too.

Krait kissed Dione on the cheek.

"I guess I don't really have to ask what you really want for your seventeenth birthday do I?" she said. Dione sniffed hard and dashed a hand across her face.

"I'm sorry, Krait, I can't help it, he's so lovely."

Krait reflected that considering the extent of Severus' scars that Dione had to be really very much in love; that she loved Krait too and was staring to love Sirri as she got to know her showed there was more in this than a teenage crush.

"You know, don't you, that he and I did a deep joining, to help us fight Voldemort?" she said "we have been through things together you do not even want to imagine; he has had to hold the cruciatus curse on me at the orders of my vile father, as punishment to us both, to prove that HIS orders superseded Severus' feelings for me, not able to conceive that we had discussed having to do that….we have come through tests like that. Dione, I think deep down you have the core of steel that could have done the same; but it is I who have. Sirri grows closer to him; she has now fought with us many times. And Sirri has also given me permission to tell you that her repellent master used her and so she understands that…. And that being with someone who treats you right raises your sense of self worth. But it will take time, Dione, and if you want to be with us you have to understand that."

Dione nodded.

"I – I will accept anything he is prepared to give, Krait if you will permit it, you and Sirri."

"Then go home; spend your birthday with your father and let him enjoy it, for he is trying to make up to you for the lost years. Then you may come back to us. And at first, you will not sleep with us; just to get used to being together and see if you can live with us as a family – and I'd not suggest it yet were it not for your daughter. Severus needs time to adjust too; he has carefully held you aloof as a child. When you are of age, even though you will still be his pupil for a year, that is a different matter. And he should not even so. Yes, I know we were together; we had the excellent excuse that we were not sure if we'd live for me to grow up. And if you are to be with us, it is better for Ismenia to be used to us being a unit when she starts becoming old enough to understand. She's almost a year old; and you'd be amazed how much they absorb even that young. Being a part of the family means you can later integrate with more if it works out."

Dione nodded.

"I – I will wait if he wants" she said "So long as nobody minds that…"

"Let it happen naturally" said Krait. "He and you must get to know each other as people not in the loco parentis sense. Oh, Dione…."

"Yes Krait?"

"Be gentle with him!" said Krait. "I'm only half teasing, my dear; so many things have hurt him in his life; we are all damaged people clinging together you know."

"But you and he are so strong – the stalwarts, the centre of the MSHG!"

"Because we have empowered ourselves…. There are still things that hurt. There is nothing left to fear; boggarts are just….boggarts. But where there is love there is the capacity to hurt. I am his second love you know; and I leave room for Lily. He and I are soul mates but I still need to leave room for Lily."

"Who is Lily? I don't think I've met her."

"Lily Evans Potter died before you were born, Dione. Harry is her son. She married another man. It does not make his love less real."

"I see….. then perhaps he knows how I feel?"

"I should think he understands very well indeed."

Dione went home; and let her father pamper her; and then she explained to him what she intended and left him shocked, but supportive of his daughter whatever she did, to return to the Snape residence.

Krait led her into the sitting room where Severus stood looking out of the window. He looked pale and really quite apprehensive.

"Do you feel as shy as me then Severus?" whispered Dione.

"Yes" said Severus "I – I don't know you yet."

"I have an advantage of being able to watch you with other people I suppose" said Dione.

"I suppose you do. I – I don't want to hurt you or do anything you might later regret."

"Well, it's not like I'm a virgin; Kevin saw to that."

"Creep!" Severus ground his teeth.

"That's flattering… that you care about it having happened; even though I know you'd feel that way about any of your charges. But you see, even the care you put into just one of your charges is more than I'm used to….can we sit on the sofa together?"

He held out a hand to usher her, waiting until she had sat to join her. She leaned her face against his arm; and awkwardly he put an arm around her. She gave a contented sigh.

"This is so comfortable and comforting; it's almost better than…..than thinking thoughts about…." She blushed.

"Then it is love….being together is more than the sex" said Severus. "That….well…erh'rrhrm." he blushed.

She chuckled throatily, moving against him. He touched her face.

"I wonder what three girls could do to you together when we do get that far?" she said.

Severus blinked, somewhat taken aback.

"Dione, I thought having two bad girls was bad enough, I can see I'm going to have to buy my pet hate a self-stirring cauldron."

"That one went by me a little fast, Severus."

"Well I'm not going to have enough time to brew my own invigorating potion to keep me in a fit state to keep you all satisfied, am I?" he said. She laughed.

"Oh Severus, I love your quirky sense of humour so much!" she said.

"Just as well; I'm not having it medically apparated out for anyone" he said.

She snuggled at him; and he stroked her hair; then gently kissed her.

It was a revelation to Dione; she had had a baby and had never been kissed. As Severus soon guessed; and modified his kissing accordingly so as not to frighten her. Dione kissed back, moving instinctively, her whole body responding in an arousal beyond anything she had thought possible! Severus kept his hands firmly on her hair and back for now; let her discover the joys of arousal slowly, build up gradually. And then he too would learn to want her more, and it would, when the time came, be more of a sharing. But now he would give; and teach her to enjoy.

And there was fire and passion in her, more than he had thought; and he would in time, he was sure, come to love her too.

She should have time however to enjoy herself in the last days of her girlhood; it was so sad that things had not worked out with his cousin Peter. But if Dione learned to have a good self image and to feel self confident she might then feel ready to move on to someone of her own one day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

While the Malfoys and the Snapes wrestled with affairs of the heart, the Junior and Mini Marauders wrestled mostly with flying insects.

They were all staying in a pair of battered tents in the back garden of the Black-Weasleys, the three other Junior Marauders as guests of Lynx and the four other Mini marauders the guests of Leo. The girls had the better tent; its wizarding space on the inside had four full rooms. The boys had a tent with a single space in it although it was much larger, of course, then the outside. The room was not quite square; there was a collapsed section at one corner where at some point in the past the tent had had an unfortunate experience involving a goat.

Mr and Mrs Black-Weasley were cagey about why neither of them had gone out to shoo the goat away at the time.

"It'll have been sex" said Jade Snape "Grown ups are obsessed by it."

Lynx giggled.

"Well I wouldn't mind snogging Hawke Malfoy."

Jade sighed, heavily.

"I wish you wouldn't grow up too quickly Lynx" she said "Grown ups get all peculiar. Take Dione Parnassus; she's in love with my dad, and she'd do anything almost just for him to smile at her. We get to keep her as a third mum, and though I can see that Sirri is all right, because house elves DO need extra loving and aren't used to getting much, she's human and she ought to want more for herself! It – it's not right!"

"What for your dad to….."

"No, it wouldn't matter if he could love her equally the way Lucius does with Narcissa and Charlotte, but that she'll accept affection seems….. somehow demeaning."

Lynx considered this.

"Grown ups ARE weird" she conceded. "Oh good, here comes Leo with the 'Daily Prophet' see if anything amusing has happened in the real world.

"Only some old dear kicked to death by centaurs" said Leo "It didn't make a centaur-fold though…."

Several people cuffed him for that awful pun.

"Centaurs don't usually kick people to death they shoot them full of arrows" said Mei, who had been run out of the Forbidden Forest by centaurs in her first year. Mei had a healthy respect for centaurs.

"Read it out, pest" said Lynx.

Leo ignored the appellation and read,

"Rich, eccentric witch Carbonella Kirren was found dead today after being kicked to death by Centaurs. Her nephew Nigel said 'I can't believe she's gone… I don't know what she could have done to irritate them, but she could be a little strange, one of her hobbies was freeing house elves often by trickery of their owners. That irritated a lot of humans; maybe she had some kind of idée fixe about how centaurs should live their lives too. They must have been really angry, the marks of the horseshoes are really deep'."

Jade, lounging on the ground sat up.

"WHAT?" she said.

"Which bit?"

"That last phrase."

"The marks of the horseshoes are really deep you mean?"

Jade looked at Lynx and they said in chorus

"Centaurs don't wear horseshoes."

"Criminy!" said Chad Fenwick "That's right! So was it a flying horse herd, or ordinary horses that did it?"

"How would that be likely to happen?" said Mad "Unless she's half squib she should be able to control them well enough not to attack her."

"Anyway, horses of any kind don't attack without training except Abraxans and their feet are big enough for it to show" said Fabian.

"Cui bono?" said Lydia.

"My kid sister sometimes has excellent thoughts" said Jade.

"And if you ask me the most bono'd person is that there nephew" said Senagra.

"The Kirren estate is only a couple of miles across country from here" said Lynx.

"Well what are we waiting for?" said Jade "Get your mum to make sandwiches for a whole day hike and we'll go and look for clues!"

"Yes" said Lynx "We have to avenge her as she freed house elves; I like this old dear!"

The marauders wriggled on their elbows to the edge of the wood where Madam Kirrin was supposed to have met her fatal accident with centaurs. They had seen a couple of centaur spoor, footprints – horseshoe free – and dung; and it appeared the centaur couple, as they guessed them to be from relative hoof size, were on the move and heading away from here.

"Of course some would say that's guilty conscience" said Chad.

"More like terror over reprisals without trial" scoffed Mei.

"I'd not hang about if I were a minority race" said Jade "Not with some wizards being the way they are; our society's well sick. I say, do you suppose he bumped her deliberately that way to make the centaurs skedaddle?"

"Why would he do that?" asked Fabian.

"Well, if he wanted to use the woods for goblin coursing say" said Jade "Or dark magic. Or even, if we may be prosaic, cut them down, sell the timber and make a mint building a housing estate for muggles."

"Crumbs! Any one of those is bad" said Senagra.

"Look, is that him?" said Lynx, with more interest than grammar, pointing through the long grass at the edge of the woods.

"I'd guess that is he" said Jade with deliberate grammar and earning herself a poke for pedantry.

Nigel Kirrin had a girlfriend for each arm and a large hound as he apparated outside his new property.

"Right, we'll look over the place first" his voice drifted over faintly but they strained to listen. Jade prepared to cast an eavesdropping charm "Tie up the dog, Popsy. Damn her idiocy for freeing the house elves, I suppose we'll have to get rid of them one way or another." Then he went into the house and the eavesdropping charm was no good out of the line of sight.

The children gasped.

"This is a most not-nice man" said Leo seriously. "we shall have to be careful if HE's here; but we need to find out where he killed her, it'll give us a better chance of finding the weapon."

A tiny house elf suddenly appeared in front of them; she was wearing a summer frock and had a bow in her hair. She looked about their age.

"Does you think HE killed her?" she said

"Yes" said Lynx. "Are you a free elf who's part of her household?"

The child nodded.

"I'm Polly" she said "My dad and mum are Colly and Liddi, they stayed with her after she freed them, 'cos she inherited daddy, and got mummy free because he loved her and then went around freeing other people. I was BORN free."

"I guess that makes you the first" said Jade "We thought it was Sevvy – he's Dobby of Hogwarts son with Sirri when she was first free before she got herself a permanent lover. Do you know where she was killed?"

"Yes, over here, we is mourning for her there!" squeaked Polly grabbing the nearest two hands to pull them along.

They went with her.

The ground was churned and trampled and there was blood in the mud.

"Mummy, Daddy did you hear?" said Polly.

The grief-stricken elves nodded.

"There's not much evidence of this churning being done by centaurs either" said Lynx "The odd mark of a horseshoe again and if you ask me it's a very rum angle for any quadruped to place it."

"Looks like someone's raked and muddied very carefully beforehand" said Mei "Look, there's a partial shoe print, that's been almost raked out on top. Did she come here much, Colly?"

"Yes, she used to come here to paint. She liked painting. Wasn't much good, but she enjoyed it" said the male elf. He wore clothes that made the film buffs of the MSHG think of hobbits; his wife wore a simple cotton frock much like her daughter.

"Right" said Lynx "Let's reconstruct what happened based on what we know and what we can see; here's a churned bit he prepared in advance knowing she'd come to paint, to add verisimilitude to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative; sorry, Gilbert and Sullivan seemed appropriate there. Then he whacked her, obliteeriated her prints through the churn there, and he must have left on that dry bit there" she pointed "Or dragged a branch behind him. But I can't see that natty creature liking to get mud on his shoes. So, we follow in his footsteps and peer into undergrowth until we see it. And then we don't touch it but ask Colly to go get Draco or Harry."

The others nodded. Lynx was bossy but she was talking sense. They fanned out.

"We should be able to safely stay inside the wood" said Jade "I bet he did in case any of the elves might look out."

It actually only took a few minutes for the combined efforts of two groups of marauders to come up with the weapon. It was Chad who gave a cautious call and the others came over.

He pointed into a bush, broken back by the passage of a club with a bloodied horseshoe on the end of it.

"Right, that's proof" said Jade "Colly or Liddi, will you take a written report to Draco Malfoy as auror?"

"YES!" they both squeaked.

Jade heaved out paper and a biro from a pocket and wrote,

"We the undersigned have found proof that clears the centaurs of killing Carbonella Kirrin and implicates a human agency" and signed it.

"Why not say it was the nephew?"

"DURR!" said Jade "Because until Draco does forensic thaumoturgy on the club there's no proof even if he is the cui who bono's the most. Even CICERO would allow that much, and then WE'RE open to slander accusations. Which makes our trespassing worserer."

"Oh Madam Kirrin's will left us an interest in the estate" said Colly "You isn't trespassing, you is here by invitation."

Jade grinned.

"How about that then… playing in the grounds with our friend Polly who's coming to Hogwarts with us I guess?"

"OOOOH! Can I?"

"I don't know if they'll let you" said Colly uncertainly.

"They'd better" said Jade "Sevvy and his big sister Mimi are full blood house elves and they're my adopted siblings 'cos Sirri is my daddy's mistress – her choice – and THEY're going to Hogwarts or daddy will want to know why. So HE'll fix it – he's a professor there you see."

Colly looked happier.

"Well, that's all right then" he said.

"Draco will know we were interfering but if we tell him the official story it makes it easier for him" said Jade.

Draco duly arrived.

"What's all this about then young marauders?" he said.

"Well the story was in the Prophet" said Leo

"And it was obvious she hadn't died of centaur because of centaurs not wearing horseshoes" said Jade; at which Draco stiffened.

"That's so!" he said "It wasn't my pigeon…. I heard the story with only half an ear. You're spot on."

"So we came to play with our friend Polly the free elf who's joining us at Hogwarts" said Lynx

"And had a poke about" said Mad

"And come and see what I found" said Chad, hopping about on one foot.

"AFTER you've told us if you think the so-called hoof-churned ground looks more like a rake and several cans of water too" put in Lydia.

Draco looked at the churned ground, had the footprint pointed out, took photographs and followed to see the club. He levitated it carefully out of the bushes after carefully photographing it in situ.

"Muggle police record all evidence by photograph" he said "I thought it was about time we did the same. Blown up big, these will really show a chain of evidence."

He pointed the wand at the blood.

"It's the blood of a witch" he said "I'll need to see her body to compare" and he pointed the wand at the handle end. Then he chuckled gleefully.

"He cut himself on a snag, whoever did this" he said "I have him. I suppose you lot have your suspicions?"

"Cui bono?" said Lydia again.

"Ah, yes, of course….. you kids cut along home now; take young Polly with you, I'll need her parents to give evidence. I'll be whistling up a squad of watch wizards."

They were both elated; and a little deflated for being banished.

One did NOT however brook Draco, even if one might decide to disobey other grownups. He was likely to come up with a scarily creative punishment.

Polly was thrilled to be spending time with other children however, and the marauders spent a lot of time reassuring her that they looked on her as a child not an elf – Jade and Lydia found this easiest in practice, being used to Mimi and not even NOTICING Polly's race – and encouraging her to join in with their games. Pretty soon they all forgot she was an elf; Polly was a feisty little thing who gave as good as she got having been reared free; and the mini marauders voted to let her be one of their number.

"Six? I thought five was pushing it for a marauder group" said Lynx.

"Well, it's whoever deserves to be and ought to be" said Leo "Polly does deserve to be, she's cool and that's the main criterion for a marauder. Besides, we stand for equality don't we? Which is why the first ever goblin at Hogwarts was a New Marauder, isn't it? So should the first free house elf."

"Kinat was – is – just like that" said Jade "But I agree. Polly is cool. I guess I was expecting Mimi to be the first free elf at Hogwarts and to be a marauder, but I'm not going to get sniffy about it just because Polly gets in first not my sister. That would be kinda bloodsnobbish."

"That almost makes sense" grinned Mei. "I say, are we going to be inducted into the Bloodgroup soon?"

"The old folk have been talking about it" said Lynx "Hawke mentioned it."

"If Dione's going to stay with us the parents will want to blood her as well" said Jade "So I guess we'll have a ceremony at the beginning of term. It sorta makes sense to do lots at once."

"Do we need the whole caboodle any more, dragging in Harry and co?" asked Senagra.

"I don't think so; it's a self-sustaining organism now, dad says" said Jade "But you need a large enough quorum to make it disparate. And he and mum and Sirri will do a personal join to Dione. I guess she's not really wet; she flew like a demon to keep mum safe against the huorns AND took damage herself. And she's good with the little ones."

"Reckon she never had a chance not to be wet with stuff that happened to her" said Lynx "I don't know all of it of course, only what she told us in MSHG but that was bad enough."

"Reckon" said Lydia quietly "If dad hadn't rescued us so young we might not have been so feisty either. And s'pposing HE had kept hold of us and sold our bodies? It's what he was setting up to do, isn't it?"

Jade paled.

"I didn't realise you remembered so much" she said.

"I don't really; but I remembered some and I talked to mummy about it" said Lydia "Because I wanted to know. When you know you can deal with the odd nightmare. And we shan't have to worry about Erica, 'cos she may be our half sister for real but HE never had anything to do with her. So she'll be fine and we can just be cousins at her. I asked, in case she had bad dreams when away from home at first."

"You never told me you did" Jade accused.

"Well we're in different houses" said Lydia "And I didn't want to lean on you all my life. So I asked mum; it's what parents are for. And she told me, and I used the pensieve and dealt with the baggage."

Jade blinked.

Her gentle little sister was obviously stronger – and deeper – than she had realised.

"Well, we're here for each other too" she said "'Cos now we're older we can be more like Hawke and Abraxus 'cos you're strong enough not to need me fussing over you."

Lydia hugged her.

"I'm glad you don't mind me being strong for myself" she said.

Jade considered that. Yes, there were some shameful thoughts there of jealousy that she was no longer needed as much; and that must be overcome. And easier to overcome one's more negative side if one recognised it. And she WAS glad for Lydia because Lydia was her own person and love worked best when it was free. She hugged Lydia back.

Growing up was a very complex business.

Draco stopped by at the children's camp.

"Sorted" he said "We caught him in the act of ordering workmen to set up cells in the old stables."

"So he WAS going to do goblin coursing?" said Lynx.

"Half right; he preferred muggle coursing, but near enough and just as bad" said Draco "Worse in a way because goblins expect bad of wizards; muggles don't even know to."

"I think it's worsest that goblins should be in a position to feel that they need to expect bad of wizards" said Fabian.

Draco blinked.

"Do you know, laddie, there's a lot in what you say there" he said "My dad's getting heavily involved in goblin rights right now, opening an old case; but I can't really say any more. I expect you might get more through the MSHG but it's not my tale to tell. Anyway, I could prove he did it, to get the property for his loathsome – sport – and so the estate will revert to the residual legatees since you can't inherit by crime."

"Who's the residual legatees?" asked Jade anxiously.

Draco laughed.

"Colly and Liddi" he said "And THAT'll set a few cats among a few pigeons I bet! Wealthy house elves; there'll be people tying themselves in knots of jealousy and resentment over that!"

"Well then I shall be glad Polly will be safe at Hogwarts" said Jade "And her parents can pay for her to go too so there's no fuss about her getting a scholarship and taking it away from a poor human which otherwise might be a gripe. But will Colly and Liddi be safe?"

"It's a risk but I'm planning on asking Lynx and Leo's dad if he'll accept an extracurricular position as watchwizard to look over it" said Draco "Being a neighbour. There's also the Hippogriff."

"Oh yes, Mr Softee is gorgeous!" said Polly "And we couldn't stop that horrid man hurting him because he wasn't ours!"

"Well he is now" said Draco "And my young cousins will probably want to either hire him or ask if they can bring field trips out when they have their free school up and running next year; to teach care of hippogriffs."

"I expect he'd like that" said Polly "He likes children!"

"With or without mustard?" asked Leo, who had fallen foul of Buckbeak at Hogwarts by failing to perform the ritual bow; and had found difficulty sitting comfortably for a week or so after Buckbeak made his displeasure felt.

"Don't be rotten, Leo!" scolded Polly.

The 'Daily Prophet' ran the story the next day of Nigel Kirrin's arrest and managed to imply that they pretended to believe his story to lull him into a false sense of security while aurors searched for more evidence.

"You know the Prophet really is the pits!" said Jade "AND Witch Weekly, 'cos the Prophet owns that. There really ought to be a better news service. Mum keeps threatening to start a decent witch's mag and I wish she would. She's written some stories too, school stories for us that ought to be published. If Lucius and she put money into a publishing house it wouldn't half do well and could employ lots of people currently out of work. I'm going to send them both an owl. And then Dione can run it when she leaves school so she feels she's doing something of value. After all she's been through she's only taking four NEWTs. Why are you laughing at me Fabian?"

"Because most people only ever take three you poor sap" said Fabian "And most people in the ministry don't even have passes at more than two you know!"

"Oh" said Jade, suitably squashed.

"Our upper sixth this year are full of high flyers" said Senagra "With just the six in the blood group taking six or seven and Myrtle taking five and a few others I think it's the highest number of NEWTs ever taken in one year, Kinat says. He reckons that to keep the average straight the next five years need to take no more than three each."

"Well, rubbish to that" said Lynx "'Cos that covers us and I'm planning on taking five I should think."

"Erzacly" said Jade who expected to take seven.

Jade's suggestion about a decent news service that reported truth without fear or favour appealed to Lucius; and he spoke to Krait about it as part of a regeneration project in the Umbrous Alley complex.

"I had several ideas for a witch's mag but I'd not got as far as a daily" said Krait "Can you see about setting it up, Lucius? I'm a little preoccupied with the bulge right now."

"Certainly" said Lucius "And I know a witch who has no job right now who might help to sort out your ideas if nothing else."

"Peter's gran is a down-to-earth woman" said Krait "That's Peter Thomson, Severus' cousin, not Peter Pettigrew. Huh, I'm going to start calling him Pete so I know which is which; he's an amiable youth and shortening him comes naturally. Madam Thomson will be a great woman's editor, she's shrewd, not easily cowed and well educated. And she's lived amongst goblins; and from the way Pete acts towards them has brought him up to treat them with the same courtesy he would humans. She can employ this protégée of yours of course; since you hold doubt in your tone about her abilities."

"I haven't met her; I was told about her" said Lucius "She got deceived and seduced by her boss."

"Hmm, in need of self worth boosting but NOT in charge" said Krait "If she's very young and that's why she was gullible then she needs age and experience; if she's just gullible she needs a keeper. Cynner's mum could be paid for articles for the low potential, squib and goblin women. I'm sure the Society for irritating the Society for Distressed Witches will find some staff among the Marginalised Females they support."

"I don't think the Society for the Protection of Marginalised Females is purely there to irritate Anne McMillan Diggory" said Lucius mildly "I believe it was just a secondary bonus to Narcissa."

"Huffers can be irritating though when they ride a hobby horse but can't manage to be flexible" said Krait. "And knowing that Narcissa, Charlotte and Wendy are taking care of squibs, hags, goblins and stray muggles is very comforting. We'll need reporters too if you want a newspaper. It'll take some organising."

"I'm good at organising. I plan to get both the Creevey boys if I can, David has spoken highly of the younger one, Dennis, and his older brother, Colin, knows Harry rather well and understands the necessity for scrupulous reporting. I'm tempted to offer Willow Prince the problem page just out of malicious humour."

Krait chuckled.

"You'll be crucified! I can just hear her answer to most problems 'why don't you stop whining about your stupid and petty little problems that are insignificant in comparison to many who manage to cope with real troubles, just grow up and get a life' and I don't think it'd go down that well."

"Might be what people need though. But I take your point! I guess I need someone who can say much the same thing but do it tactfully."

"Why have a problem page at all? It doesn't have to copy the Prophet in all features you know. It's a newspaper; let it have the reputation of being just that; a NEWSpaper. I mean, run a gossip column by all means – making clear it is a gossip column – and let Narcissa loose on her comments on society, to sell the thing to a slightly wider audience but we're competing on grounds of the excellence of the content and crap like problem pages don't hack it for me. Have a medical advisor on the staff to write about simple ailments and what potions to use, and answer medical questions: have a legal expert to prize out and make less turgid the latest pronouncements from the Kalendar and answer legal questions. But leave the 'I-think-my-husband's-having-an-affair-where-can-I-get-veritaserum' questions well alone."

"Hmm, yes, I think I agree" said Lucius. "We only have the Daily Prophet; one tends to judge on it. I'll go and chat to Madam Thatcher and look at the muggle papers for some ideas. I think I have shares in some of them."

"Just don't take News of the World or the Sun any more seriously then you would the Prophet" said Krait. "Look at 'The Times'; that's your model."

Lucius nodded; he respected Krait's advice.

Lucius was busy; he was collecting information about Samuel Block, and getting depositions about the killing of Tobak from people, and managed to track down a squib who had also witnessed the event. And whilst not another wizard, a squib was human and his story would carry weight in the wizgamot.

There had needed to be a lot of reform in the wizgamot too; gone was the time when it could be manipulated by the ministry, as Dolores Umbridge had tried to do when she had sent Dementors to Little Whingeing to get Harry into trouble; and the law too had been changed that minors were required to have adult support if indicted for serious crimes. Had Umbridge had her way, Harry would have been indicted for underage wand use, unsupported in a court far beyond the usual body for dealing with such trouble, and she had been planning to change the time of the hearing – had she got one – to an hour earlier in the hopes that he would then be convicted in absentia for failing to show.

The new laws now required any change of time to be notified to all parties at least twenty four hours before the new time and twenty four hours before an old time if a hearing was put forward; that minors below school age could not be counted as criminals and must be dealt with separately; and that there should be special courts for all under seventeens except in the most serious of cases. The conviction in absentia should be held only when every effort had been exhausted to bring an accused before the wizgamot; as in a case of clear absconding. The wizgamot itself had greater powers over itself and was to elect a member to serve on the ruling legislative body. Currently Tiberius Ogden was the elected member and made his presence felt with pithy, down to earth comments.

The aurors now reported to representatives of the Wizgamot, not to the ministry; for that removed ministry control. Though there were sections of the ministry concerned with legal matters they had to request the use of aurors and to report all their own investigations to the wizgamot office; and though Arthur Weaseley muttered a bit about extra paperwork, Harry pointed out that it meant that abuses were less likely to pass without notice since only the brightest and best were to act as those under the wizgamot, those with aspirations to be aurors who had not quite managed to get the requisite qualifications and who were required to go through training almost as rigorous as that of an auror in the moral and mental aspects; and also needed to be highly versed in law. A year long intensive course was required. A move to refer to this office as the Inquisitorial office and its members Inquisitors was firmly blocked by Harry and Severus, egged on by Krait, who remembered only too well the intention of Dolores Umbridge to be 'High Inquisitor' of Hogwarts; they felt the term had rather negative aspects, however correct the Latin.

Krait suggested if they must stick to Latin, call them Quaestors and have a Quaestorial Office.

That stuck.

It was to the Quaestorial office that Lucius was taking his findings; it was mostly staffed by retired aurors at the moment whilst waiting for bright future quaestors. He was shown into the office of the senior quaestor, Aescellania Comfrey.

"What can I do for you Mr Malfoy?" said Madam Comfrey warily. She knew Lucius of old as rather slippery and was having trouble adjusting to the new Lucius.

Since she was missing an arm and a leg from a deliberate splinching by deatheaters it really was hardly surprising. Madam Comfrey was, however, scrupulously fair and had none of the near arrogance that typified a few aurors such as Dawlish, whom Lucius disliked.

"An incident some years ago was brought to my attention through my efforts as governor to Hogwarts" said Lucius "A story told by children that seemed at first absurd and exaggerated; and yet, when I asked further questions seemed to be more than substantiated" he handed over his pile of depositions and the copy of the report filed by Samuel Block. "I was astounded at the similarities in the tales that were yet not coached exactitudes: and nobody could have known that I would poke my nose in to ask questions anyway."

"Asking questions is the job of aurors and watchwizards, Mr Malfoy."

"That's as may be; but until there are goblin aurors and watchwizards I would speculate that, even for their own good, you'd get little out of the poorer goblin communities. I am known to them and trusted; that makes a difference. My nephews are great friends with the first goblin to go to Hogwarts – who I understand was to become a victim of Mr Cornelius Fudge through the deatheater Dolores Umbridge – and I have therefore had more experience with social intercourse in the goblin community rather than merely having a professional connection. I could get these depositions; I doubt you could. I can probably even persuade some of those who wrote what they saw to give evidence rather than just disappear into the goblin community. It probably goes against the grain; but you have to trust me on this matter."

Madam Comfrey narrowed her eyes. She was a supporter of goblin rights; and, incidentally, a friend of Madam Marchbanks.

"Look me in the eye and tell me you're not playing a deep game Lucius Malfoy" she said.

Lucius looked her full in the eye.

"I shan't even use occlumency" he said "But I'd be obliged if you kept the more personal aspects of the matter to yourself."

Madam Comfrey gasped.

"But I see you were investigating before you met the woman Tanjela" she said "Very well; I see your anger and your hatred of hypocrisy. I will study these very thoroughly. I will not record your unauthorised use of legilimensy as it was to satisfy you that there was so serious a case to investigate. The backlog's about six months."

"That's why I'm glad to have the juvenile witnesses safe at Hogwarts" said Lucius "Somehow I doubt anyone is going past Dumbledore."

"That I wholeheartedly agree with!" said Madam Comfrey.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Tanjela was not quite sure how to greet two beautiful and well dressed ladies of high social rank, whose husband she lusted after so inexplicably; and tried to curtsey.

"Now there's no need for that" said Charlotte firmly "Stand tall; be proud. This is Narcissa; I'm Charlotte."

"We want to get to know you" said Narcissa. "We brought sundry little ones and their elf nurse so they could all play together if Madam Bral Torlo will not mind. Whatever else happens, your twins will be up to school with my little sister Bella and I think Nathan comes between the next two down from what Lucius was guessing and Drogo's of an age with your littlest boy though the other babes are younger. And I expect Jardak has little brothers and sisters too?"

Jardak, who was waiting with his friend nodded eagerly. He had no idea of the undercurrents!

Gorbrin had the idea that his mother had issues with the kind wizard whose wives these were and wondered why because he seemed to be very nice to him; but had not liked to say anything!

Erica introduced herself cheerfully to the boys having already collected Jazka; Stacey's mother intended to see HER through buying equipment.

"And you mustn't hold it against Stacey that she's got an awful mother, for she's all right herself" explained Erica "Her mum has to put on airs poor thing because she's not lasted the course with Kordach and is just yesterday's news and so she isn't a big fish in his small pond any longer. Kordach's a bit fickle, not like daddy who wouldn't dream of having short term mistresses. Both mummy and Narcissa are his wives you see in all but name and law."

"And they don't scrap?"

"Oh no! That would upset daddy. Anyway, they love each other; mummy helped Narcissa fighting Voldemort you know, that stopped him killing Draco. I don't really understand but that kinda helped them see more in each other."

"Oh" said Gorbrin. "I didn't know you could love more than one person."

"Well I guess some people can" said Erica. "I don't want to go there yet; grown up love is kinda squishy and involves kissing and giggling and being remarkably silly."

"I wouldn't know" said Gorbrin.

"Please" said Tanjela to the women "I know this will sound foolish but with all the things that happened I don't believe your husband ever mentioned his name."

They exchanged looks.

"How like Lucius to manage to be such an arrogant swine he assumed everyone recognised him!" said Charlotte.

"He wasn't arrogant!" flared Tanjela, then blushed.

"He is arrogant" said Narcissa "But only when it suits him. We love him for it as well as despite it; but he is a bit inclined to assume everyone knows him. Alternatively he may not have mentioned it so as not to put you off your ease as he is rather well known" she smiled and Tanjela reflected that he – Lucius his name was – had done anything but put her at her ease, though it was scarcely his fault. Narcissa added, "He's Lucius Malfoy. You might have heard of him; he's such a showman."

Tanjela's head spun and she felt giddy; then Charlotte was catching her round the waist and easing her into a chair.

"Now as he's not here, that's a waste of falling at his feet!" laughed Narcissa, summoning a glass and water with her wand.

Tanjela looked at her.

"You know?" she said.

"How he feels? Yes. How you felt? Not until just now" said Narcissa crisply. "We need to get to know you my dear; Lucius has a healthy respect for our opinion. Frankly, on paper I'd not like the idea, but I saw his eyes and I see yours….we don't quarrel, especially not in front of the children. It's the only way it can work."

"I – I don't really – I feel very confused."

"He has this effect on women" said Charlotte dryly "I just gave up and went with the flow as you might say. Does it make a difference to you knowing who he is?"

Tanjela shook her head.

"I just didn't realise he was so important; that he should come personally…."

The women laughed.

"Nosy article like Lucius? Not come personally? That'll be the day" said Narcissa "Besides, I think it must have been fated…." She added softly. "Are you feeling all right to move on now? Only there's a lot to do."

Children were watching anxiously, the smaller ones clinging to their mother.

Charlotte smiled at them.

"Well, that was a big surprise to mummy, it was so surprising it made her feel all unnecessary!" she said. "Seffy, Madam Bral Torlo lives next door; I expect you twins Griselen and Genavka are in charge, Seffy is a grown up of course despite being shorter than you, forward march, I think! Hogwarts crew down the stairs and into the car!"

Children clattered off; Tanjela's children were used to spending time with their neighbour while their own mother worked and so made little fuss now it seemed that she was all right.

"You're a Malfoy?" Gorbrin demanded of Erica "Your dad's real important!"

"He's be awfully unhappy if he couldn't get his finger in all sorts of pies" said Erica "Dad's so efficient and good at sorting stuff, it pisses him off something rotten to see things done badly. Now he's seen this neighbourhood and some of the rather grungy factories I expect he'll buy some out and improve them."

"You mean bring in humans to work them?"

"Bite your tongue! Dad isn't like that! He'll improve working conditions too I expect. A muggle called Henry Ford said that you should make the maximum number of goods possible for the lowest price possible paying the highest wages possible. And dad thinks it's a good maxim. Ford said a few other things some of which aren't so clever but well paid workers got more incentive to work hard and well, right?"

"I guess" said Gorbrin, cautiously "It seems backwards to what a lot of people do though."

"And you have what evidence to suggest that the employers down here are decent sort of people?" said Erica. "Or even sensible for that matter. Greed makes people skimp but in the long term it doesn't pay. Dad says we need to know these things because we'll be taking an interest in his business empire soon; Draco's a bit too busy being an auror you see. My biggest brother; he's a friend of Harry Potter you know."

"Gosh!" said Gorbrin, more impressed by Harry Potter than the richest and supposedly the single most politically powerful wizard in the wizarding world.

"You don't have to be in the same House at school to be friends, you see" said Erica "My twin cousins Hawke and Abraxus are in different Houses, Abrax is in Gryffindor with Kinat, and Hawke is a Slytherin with Romulus and they go around together."

"Kinat's a goblin name."

"Yes, he was the first ever goblin at Hogwarts, though of course we Malfoys had the first ever part goblin hundreds of years ago and slid him in without anybody noticing."

"Oh yes, that's been in Witch Weekly – Cosmo Malfoy, mum's been reading it out to us older ones in the evenings. It's not made up then?"

"Oh no! Well some of the conversations have, 'cos it's all out of his diary and Narcissa and Mummy turned it from a diary into a story and Daddy threatened the editor not to change it at all to suit HER on pain of pain. Daddy is most awfully good at threatening nasty people and he reckons the editor of Witch Weekly must be the half sister of Dolores Umbridge the death eater sired by an even uglier toad than Umbridge was with the mind and manners of a low grade madam. Daddy's starting a publishing firm to have quality publications; he only let Witch Weekly have the story 'cos the reporters were hassling cousin Abraxus' girlfriend because she was dead for a little while before Abraxus made her get better."

"You don't get better from being dead!" Gorbrin shouted.

"You can when you're a ghost and still a child and your parents are still alive" said Erica "I think it was quite unusual circumstances but the ministry got silly about it then some busy body in her class or something wrote to the papers 'cos some people haven't got anything better to do than to make tattle 'cos there's nothing of substance between their ears. And we have to have rich idiots at Hogwarts to pay for people who are clever and can't afford it."

"Like me" said Gorbrin.

"Ezacly" said Erica "So one puts up with them as a necessary evil. Jark's scowling at us, we'd better get in the car."

Gorbrin, Jardak and Jazka had never been to Diagon Alley. Erica had, to Madam Malkin's for clothes, and just because Narcissa and Charlotte liked browsing when they were up in town. The Alley was, as usual for this time of year, full of children.

"Aye say, Weevils, how distressin'" said Lynx Black-Weasley.

Erica knew Lynx; she was an associate of her cousin Jade.

"You lay off Lynx or I shall spend all term calling you Weasley without the double barrel!" said Erica.

Lynx laughed.

"Taking lessons in blackmail from your dad?"

Erica grinned.

"Who better to take lessons from?"

"Oh absolutely – introductions, small Malfoy Weevil!"

Erica introduced her new friends and was introduced to Polly.

"I should think she'll go in as a Wart, being older than you lot" said Lynx.

"Hi! If I am in your class not Lydia and co's it'll be nice to know someone!" said Polly.

"Gosh, that's excellent!" said Erica "Are you the first elf?"

"Yes AND I'm a marauder!"

"Wow! Already?"

"We spent time together in the hols" said Lynx "And we'll tell you ALL about it in the MSHG. You are joining aren't you?"

"Rather!" said Erica.

"What's Lucius been poking his nose into that Draco said wasn't his story to tell? Is it one of yourses?" Lynx's eyes glittered with curiosity.

"Mr Malfoy has been working to sort out an injustice to my father" said Gorbrin quietly "And that's my own business."

"OH!" said Lynx abashed.

"Ignore my sister, she's nosy!" laughed Leo "It's a bit of a tradition in the MSHG for people to share stories so there's people to sympathise, to sort out parents who are able to help if possible, and just to spread word of the shit that happens because we're all kinda junior fighters against injustice and back people like Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy and Hermione Weasley. Hermione's into freeing elves you know; we wrote to her about – I say did you read about the chap who murdered his aunt with a club with a horseshoe in?"

"Yes, it was a bit obvious wasn't it?" said Gorbrin "As centaurs don't wear shoes."

"Well if you picked that up quicker than the ruddy aurors did – even Draco, though it wasn't his bag – you definitely ought to be in the MSHG" said Leo. "And WE told Draco which is how Polly's our friend 'cos her parents own the house now and sucks to those that don't like it. And Hermione's helping protect them from jealous scumbags. And she'll be safe in Hogwarts too."

"Well maybe I'll share my story in this group if I feel like it and it is about that sort of thing" said Gorbrin "But I don't really do talking about things."

"Oh, that's all right, not everybody does you know" said Leo. "Anyway, time and tide and shopping wait for no man…your mums are looking frazzled, Erica."

"Only 'cos they lost us a little bit" said Erica calmly. "We need cauldrons first; then we can use them to put stuff in. I know THAT much and we've got to get the right sort or Uncle Severus will feed us to the flobberworms feet first."

"Who's that?" demanded Jazka.

"Professor Snape. He's awf'ly stern in school. Aksherly we'll have Cousin Krait, his wife, only we call her Madam Malfoy to distinguish between. She's got a good line of Snapisms though; you better not muck about! If we're Slytherin, Uncle Severus is our House Master. I think I'd like to be Slytherin; though Malfoys are in Gryffindor too. But you have to be a bit hearty to be a Gryffindor and I'm not, not really."

"You said Kinat was in Gryffindor, didn't you?" said Jardak.

"Yes, all the goblins have so far" said Erica. "They tend to be more open than the other houses I guess, a bit more laid back."

"What house was your dad in?" asked Gorbrin.

"Oh Slytherin; it's only since Abraxus we've had some Gryffs" said Erica. "We're traditionally Slytherin but it doesn't always follow if people don't feel right in the family tradition. All the Blacks were Slythers and then Sirius Black was a Gryff and I think his cousin Andromeda may have been too…our little Andromeda is named after her, she's Narcissa's sister 'cos Narcissa is a Black."

"What house was your mum in?"

"Oh she wasn't. Mummy's a muggle you know, though she's picked up some wand use."

They greeted that revelation with rather shocked silence.

"Is – is he allowed to seduce muggles?" asked Jazka.

Erica giggled.

"Now that's a bloodsnobby comment as though muggles weren't as intelligent as wizarding world folk!"

"Sorry" said Jazka.

"There's my uncle Vladimir too – he was brought up as a muggle, and so was his brother Casimir 'cos their mum's didn't like the wizarding world" said Erica "Hello Uncle Vladimir, hello Julia, Hadrian you're up with us this year too aren't you?"

"Yes, I want to be a Gryff like Julia!" Hadrian said.

The goblin children were in a whirl; every now and then Erica would point someone out – half of whom seemed to be related to her or to someone she knew – and make introductions, between being firmly shepherded about by the three women.

"Somebody remind me why we had children?" groaned Narcissa having lost the children again in a scrum of Weasleys and Crouch-Joneses. Silvester Crouch-Jones was the only new boy in this clutch but all were up for books including little Peronel Pettigrew. The older Crouch Jones was furtively trying to buy a cauldron before his sons noticed and came to help; he had had trouble before with Jasper in the cauldron shop and the descent of a high stack of cauldrons still loomed large in his mind.

"Well they're happy" said Tanjela dryly.

"We could go and get several tons of parchment for them while they're replaying the World Cup over there or whatever it is" said Charlotte.

"Good thinking" said Narcissa "I remember Draco sending the parchment vendor half apoplectic by folding paper birds from his stock and having them flying round the shop….."

"I know they'll want quills for best but I also asked Jark to go into WHSmith and buy a big pack of cheap biros to hand out for notes" said Charlotte "Krait prefers them too; she'll let the kids use them in her class. So much easier than dip pens."

"Muggles have some extraordinarily useful stuff" said Narcissa. "Is it misuse of muggle artefacts to then enchant them to write as you dictate?"

"Only if muggles are going to see" said Charlotte "I checked."

A voice cut across the conversation,

"Time muggles were declared beasts!"

"Excuse me" said Narcissa stepping forward. "Pray put forward your grounds, fellow."

"Well it stand to reason, don't it?" said the man "They ain't no good for nothin' and they ain't capable of magic."

"So by your criteria anyone less able than you is no good?"

"S'fair, innit?"

"Well I daresay that if by similar criteria I declared all non Malfoy to be beasts you might disagree" said Narcissa. There was laughter. "So" she went on "Muggles are no good for anything in your estimation – if I may unravel your dreadfully ignorant speech. What do you do?"

"Me, I'm a beast handler, I takes care of hounds I does."

"So? A job any muggle could do. It doesn't take magic to handle Granians, say, or hippogriffs even, if they're taught what to do. Of course, a chimera, that's a different proposition, can you handle a chimera?"

"Course I can't! Nobody can!"

"Well I think the Triwizard champion who had to would be very upset to be called nobody….well, well, and he was muggle born too, so muggles can produce wizards that make the likes of you look like a squib…. It boils down to the concept that you think you should be allowed to treat muggles as beasts because you can force your will on muggles by wand, and you think that's all right, correct?"

"Yeah."

Narcissa smiled. She had got to where she wished to be; and rapidly jinxed him so thoroughly he was rolling around on the ground tied in a knot, squirming and giggling while bats crawled out of his nose.

"NICE one, Mother Narcissa!" said Erica.

"Yes, well, he did ask for it rather" said Narcissa "Sometimes being childish to make a point is such fun."

She turned round and hid a smile.

Gorbrin saw the biggest man he had ever seen, whose beard somehow made him seem even larger, and a boy bigger than most adults but lugging a cauldron like the rest of them – and rather larger than standard – next to a tall, handsome wizard with a small, dark skinned girl, also with cauldron, by the hand.

His eye was drawn to the wizard's scar; and its adornment.

It was decorated by the tag of a zip fastener- a muggle invention many wizards used without being aware of its source – and the legend written on the forehead 'open in vain to search for brain'.

Narcissa stepped forward.

"David" she said "Have you been talking to my felonious nephews?"

"Yes, just up the street….what have they done?"

Narcissa whipped out a mirror.

David translated it backwards.

"Tell them they're dead" he said. "HORRORS! And to a fully paid up professor too…"

"Not until term starts, guardian" said the small girl demurely.

"Vasilica, horrid child did you know?"

The child twinkled merrily.

"They put their fingers on their lips and winked. You know!"

David sighed.

"Eheu fugaces! O tempora o mores! Any other Latin tag that seems good!" he said. "Thanks Narcissa!"

"You're welcome" said Narcissa "Takes my mind off MY troubles."

"You have troubles?"

"Four of them at the moment" said Narcissa "Though I do share them with the girls."

David raised an eyebrow and looked at Tanjela.

"Lucius is a bit ambitious hoping to avoid being henpecked if he's branching out further isn't he?"

"Merlin's bedsocks, David, you guess before it's happened!" said Narcissa "It's a terribly bad habit of yours!"

"Sorry" said David, grinning ruefully "Tell the randy old devil congratulations when you three have thrashed out an agreement – or thrashed out Lucius whichever seems most fun at the time."

"David you are dreadful!"

He bowed.

"One does one's best, Narcissa. And if one can't be rude to friends, who can one be rude to, eh!"

The child was howling

"I want to go to see the Weird Sisters! Why can't we shop after?"

"Because they're not playing for another hour, Melly, that's why" said the big wizard inexorably. He was walking fast down the Alley like he owned it, expecting people to get out of the way. Erica objected to people like that; and firmly got in the way.

"Out of the way, pesky brat, Weasley or whatever you are!" he roared

"Excuse me?" said Erica "Were you addressing me – sir?"

"Who else would I be talking to? Begone!"

"Well really!" said Erica. "Fellow Weevil, your father appears to have left Mr Manners at home."

Narcissa and Charlotte glided over, one to each side, like a tag-team of fighting dogs, thought Tanjela.

"EXcuse me, you were shouting at Erica why?" said Narcissa sweetly. "Oh if it isn't Leodegar Bulfrog – Bulstrode of course I should say!"

The Wizard went purple.

"Narcissa Malfoy" he said.

"Precisely" said Narcissa "My sister Charlotte Malfoy; our daughter Erica, our….our SON Gorbrin and assorted friends, my sister Tanjela Malfoy over there. Now do stop bellowing Deggie, no wonder the child is howling like a banshee, how old is she? Big girl for a six year old I'd say…."

"I'm eleven" said the girl.

"Goodness!" said Narcissa "And making a row like that? Terribly bad form, my child."

The girl stiffened and surveyed Narcissa under her thick black fringe. She was not a prepossessing child with heavy features, a sallow skin and heavy hair that did not look easy to tame. Her eyes were intelligent though.

"I'm sorry Madam Malfoy" she muttered.

"Well, that's a good girl now" said Narcissa "sometimes being sorry takes bravery."

Erica was not sure if she could like this girl; she had an air of arrogance, though it might be armour; but it seemed inbred. Her father plainly disliked Narcissa but felt that he had to treat her with deference.

Well, that would be something they would have to see about. Parental dislike could blight friendships – if she even wanted one with so sullen looking a girl – but they need not if both were strong enough to stand aside from ancient history.

"Your dad's got a goblin mistress then?" she whispered at Erica.

Erica was just putting together that inference herself.

"You got a problem with that?" she said.

The Bulstrode girl shrugged.

"Only curious." She said. She looked upon Gorbrin and the other two with interest not revulsion; and that too had to be a good start. If only she didn't look so – well, stuck up.

And now her father was sweeping her away, almost ready to jinx anyone else in his path to make up for meeting Malfoys.

"What was that about, Madam Malfoy calling me her son?" said Gorbrin pugnaciously.

"Judging by your mum's blushes she let it out sooner than your mum had a chance to discuss it with you" said Erica dryly "Narcissa can be like that sometimes; but she didn't want to give him any chance to score off you or – or mother Tanjela."

"I think I need to talk to my mum."

"I think you ought to wait until she's finished shouting in whispers at Narcissa" said Erica.

Tanjela was half tearful.

"How could you…. I mean, nothing's settled, we… I haven't even…."

Charlotte put her arm around one shoulder, Narcissa round the other.

"We had decided already you know that we were happy" said Charlotte "And we were going to invite you to bring the kids back to Malfoy Manor."

"No! I need to put my affairs in order – even if – if Lucius wants me to come…."

"He will" said Narcissa "I'm sorry, sister, I didn't want that Bulfrog creep sneering at my sister, he'll think twice over commenting about Madam Tanjela Malfoy you know… by the way, will you join our society to help impoverished and marginalised females in the wizarding world?"

Suddenly Tanjela was giggling.

"Narcissa, I'M impoverished and marginalised womanhood in the wizarding world!"

"No you're not, my dear, you're the wealthy wife of an obscenely rich man" said Narcissa calmly "Charlotte tells me it takes time to adapt to that unless you're a grab-happy vulgar piece like Kordach's oldest girl's mother but you're not. Oh and we're so pretty together, you so dark, Charlotte red and me blonde; PERFECT foils for each other, I'm longing to dress you!"

"Not yet" said Tanjela "Please – I need to adjust."

They both kissed her.

"Of course you do" said Charlotte. "Cissy is impatient! Lucius is going to be so pleased – if you do really want him?"

Tanjela burned; and she nodded wordlessly. Lucius made her feel like she had forgotten it was possible to feel!

They moved tactfully away so she could talk to Gorbrin.

"Mum?" said Gorbrin.

"I will never stop loving your father" said Tanjela "Let me make that clear! But….from the moment I saw Mr…Lucius… I – I was drawn to him. Narcissa and Charlotte came to see us to decide if they would let him propose to me that I be his…his third wife. They – they want it to be so. If – if you hate the idea I will tell them that I cannot, and I will walk away from him. He has promised to see that all you children are all right whatever happens."

Gorbrin's eyes filled with tears.

"How could I be so rotten if he's prepared to make that sort of commitment? Or to stop you from being happy? It will make you happy, won't it mum, you're not just doing it for us?"

"Gorbrin I have a wild selfish desire to spend the rest of my life with Lucius Malfoy" said Tanjela.

"Then do it" said Gorbrin "I – when he came it was like having dad again, almost; the way he talked to me, held me like a dad does. He isn't my dad and I hope he won't mind if I don't call him dad, but…. Mum, I think I could love him LIKE a dad."

Tanjela embraced her son and walked over to the other Madams Malfoy.

"Charlotte; Narcissa; Gorbrin is happy with the arrangement. I must break it to the others, and let them take it in. Will – will L-Lucius want them to call him father?"

"Somehow I doubt that those who remember a brave and loyal father will wish to do so" said Charlotte. "Erica never knew any father but Lucius; her real father was a scumbag, though he WAS a Malfoy. I hope, Gorbrin, you will not mind that the little ones will probably forget that he isn't their daddy; the ones that don't remember your father. You must tell them about him so he lives in their memories, albeit as a rather distant and hazy being. Can you do that?"

Gorbrin nodded.

"If any of them want to call him dad and he doesn't mind that's ok" he said gruffly.

"This is a big hearted little boy we have here" said Charlotte.

Lucius blew into the Alley late and brushing cobwebs from his normally immaculate clothing to join them in Fortescue's. His family were firmly ignoring the Weird Sister's promotion of their new hit in the Alley outside; and the noise they made covered any conversation.

"We have a print shop" he said with satisfaction "- ah, tensions?"

"We blew the gaff on the third Madam Malfoy – or rather I did" said Narcissa calmly "Tea?"

"Thank you my dear… any particular reason?"

"We ran into Deggie Bulfrog and I didn't like the way his eyes sneered at my sister here. So I introduced him to our son."

"Ah" said Lucius. He looked at Gorbrin "Hell of a way to spring the news old man; I hope it hasn't taken the wind too much out of your sails."

"If my mum is happy that makes me happy sir" said Gorbrin staunchly "I – I think you're an awfully special person. But I can't call you dad. There was only one dad."

Lucius nodded.

"Of course he was. Well, you can call me Lucius if you like, or emulate Draco when he's in one of his moods to tease, and call me 'pater'; and I'll be proud to have you as a stepson whatever you call me."

Gorbrin cautiously reached out a hand; and Lucius shook it firmly.

One could not embrace a big boy of eleven in view of everyone.

Not that it deterred Erica who hugged Gorbrin firmly because he was her brother.

"What's my name to be sir?" asked Gorbrin "I don't want my father forgotten."

"Then what about 'Malfoy-Tobak' and, with the hyphen his name becomes your family name for eternity, rather than losing it to your name when you have sons?" suggested Lucius "I've heard that of those goblins whose children are at Hogwarts several want to legalise a permanent family name, so that their descendants can trace the school career of their ancestors. Rather er, eclectic in the case of the Malfoys; several head boys, one murdered, several whippings for breaking bounds – usually after chasing love affairs – and one expulsion for seducing the head boy. The culprit was male too, and head of Slytherin; I think the main offence was cruelty to Hufflepuffs. If the head boy had been a Gryffindor he might have got away with it" he winked.

"Lucius, you are outrageous" said Charlotte "And THAT's where David Fraser gets it from, you've been corrupting him!"

Lucius chuckled.

"Oh good" he said. "Tanjela, are you happy?"

"Deliriously, Lucius" said Tanjela quietly "But I am NOT going to let you run my life whatever you do to my thoughts when I look at you; I need to get myself sorted out. You understand?"

"My dear, I honour you more for it" said Lucius.


	5. Chapter 5

****_I thought there were 15 chapters in this one but in fact there are 18 so I thought I'd celebrate by letting you have an extra one. Besides my son just made me mulled cider and I'm feeling particularly mellow.  
><em>

**Chapter 5**

Lionel Dell was in charge on his own of seeing that everyone arrived and got on the train properly, including the Rowan House Bunch; though Professor Fraser was there to collect his own little flock. Lionel grinned.

"Seems odd to think of you as a Professor" he said.

"Seems odd to think of you as a prefect" retorted David. "However much alihotsy did you have to feed Professor Dumbledore to get that?"

Lionel laughed.

"It was a shock to me, I assure you! Cynner's my co fifth-form Slytherin Prefect, Tamsin and Tim in Hufflepuff, Callum and Alice in Gryffindor – is that the Head tacitly recognising our Blood group?"

"More I think that he's recognising your wise choices for whom to include" said David "But it DOES give you a greater ability to co-operate and that's invaluable for prefects. Any idea who the house heads are?"

Lionel grinned.

"Malfoy Twins, Myrtle and Lindie Drew in Ravenclaw, she being the inoffensive one."

"Mostly the Upper Sixth in Ravenclaw are nonentities aren't they? Lindie…peacemaker, tactful?"

"That's the one" said Lionel. "The new lower sixth ones are Gervase and Em Lenoir for us, Pris Lockhart and Col Weasley for the Gryffs, so we've nobbled all of them for a fairly certain result, 'cos the other Marauders and associates know what's good for the school."

"Who'd you choose?"

"Abraxus. He's the quieter twin, but he's the leader all right. He's not as brilliant as Hawke but he's solider."

David nodded.

"I agree" he said "You'd better vote properly though."

"Oh we will; but it should be cut and dried. Some of the Huffers might try to vote for Myrtle in mistaken loyalty – she'd hate it I reckon. And you know how Ravenclaws are. Voted against you in a body almost. Ravenclaw for all and all for Ravenclaw, you know."

David shrugged.

"With Mei Chang and her young hooligans hopefully that will change – ah, that's one of mine, and Vasilica with my two other wards for Rowan."

Vasilica had come with the other two Romanian girls but had eyes only for big Mischa Seregin, who was very protective; and they went on through while David marshalled his Rowan House children.

Kordach was delivering his own daughter whatever her mother might wish; and had brought Jazka too. He smiled politely at Lionel.

"I haven't had the pleasure" said the goblin crime lord.

"Lionel Dell, sir" said Lionel hoping that 'sir' was the correct form of address "I took over from Fraser as unofficial whipper-in."

Kordach smiled.

"Ah, the excellent Mr Fraser!" he said "A great man, Mr Fraser; a great man. One day, Young Mr Dell if you are his protégé you too may be a great man."

"He is rather a hero of mine sir" said Lionel "I'd like to emulate him if I can. I'm not sure if I want to teach, though; I might try for an auror. If I don't make it there are worse things to be than a quaestor at that; getting my Potions up to grade is going to be the tricky thing. Still, I have to pass my OWLs before I think of NEWTs!"

"Well, nothing like ambition!" smiled Kordach. He patted Stacey on the cheek "Have a good time, poppet."

"I will daddy" said Stacey.

"Let's go and look for Erica" said Jazka.

"I don't have an Erica yet" said Lionel "But I would rather you went on in; I hate losing people."

"Oh – yes, sorry sir" said Stacey.

"Not sir; I'm Dell" said Lionel. "Prefect not Professor."

Erica duly arrived with Gorbrin, growing his hair to brush back Malfoy style and in consequence currently looking like a spare Snape, as Erica teased; Clem and Aurelia Yaxley were with them, having been given a lift by Lucius, who saw them through the barrier, just so he could be seen bidding Gorbrin farewell as well as Erica. Jazka and Stacey were hanging out of a window shouting for them, and Hadrian Malfoy stuck a head out too and yodelled.

"Good Grief do Weevils get louder every year?" said Lucius.

"No Uncle Lucius, the school just gets more Malfoys!" shouted Hadrian happily.

"There is that" said Lucius.

There was a howl of outrage from somewhere inside the train and Callum Prince exited hurriedly, looking for his own set to escape to.

"Mr Prince, and you a prefect too!" said Abraxus, sternly "WHAT have you been up to?"

Callum grinned.

"Oh, my bounden duty as a prefect, I assure you…Tycho Salaman has a copy of 'Playwizard' in there so I jinxed it to grow willies on all of the girls to teach him not to have such stuff in front of tender little eyes….anyway he wouldn't lend it to me."

Abraxus cuffed him affectionately.

"Don't you have a prefects' meeting to go to?" he said.

"Not 'til the train starts" said Callum "Oh mighty leader of the Gryffindor House, sir, panjandrum-wallah."

"Idiot" said Abraxus.

David let the second year and above go through to see their Hogwarts friends and family, collecting his small group of first years. In addition to his Romanian girls he had one squib, Lawrence; George, the brother of two older pupils who had cousins in Hogwarts; Ryan the brother of a Hogwarts student with other Rowan siblings, three children of low talent who were not well off and came as day pupils, Albion, David and Lucy and a half-goblin boy, Mardo who was not well dressed but who was to stay as a border presumably at great sacrifice to his parents; he looked determined and eager. Once he had them all ticked off on his list, David led them through the barrier and told them they might sit where they pleased. Mardo and George Monk seemed to have started a friendship and wandered into the carriage with the other mix of races their age, where Erica's and Gorbrin's little group was assembled, if rather crowded by Mischa who hulked in a corner.

"Crumbs" said George "Are we his lunch?"

There was good natured laughter.

"Thank you, I have eaten" said Mischa with a straight face.

One of the other Rowan girls peered in.

"Oh my, a whole LOT of weirdos!" she said "One outsize to go with the other half-breeds without fathers; I'M off to find some classier company like – like Malfoys."

She was pursued by laughter.

"Jumped up little cow" said George.

"She is nothing to make a song and dance about" said Mardo.

"Y'know the cream of the jest?" chuckled Hadrian "There's three Malfoys and one Malfoy cousin in here – me, Hadrian, my cousins Erica and Gorbrin and our Yaxley cousin Clem."

"Gorbrin?" asked Mardo, looking at the only male goblin.

Gorbrin shrugged.

"I'm a stepMalfoy; Malfoy-Tobak" he said, hoping to sound airy not defensive. "My mother is third wife to Lucius Malfoy. He's adopted my siblings and me because he's a great man and a generous one."

"Then I wish you all the best, mate" said Mardo.

"Thanks" said Gorbrin, putting out a hand.

Mardo shook it.

"You're for Hogwarts proper then?" he said. Gorbrin nodded.

"Lucius came to test me – someone recommended me – and that was how he met my mum" he said – that was close enough – "Are you hoping to win a scholarship? There's at least one spare one – Lucius is paying for me as his son!"

"I hope to" said Mardo. "So does George here; sometimes he can do stuff, though his siblings can't."

"Our cousin was at Hogwarts" said George "So I know how many beans make five and I can make things happen sometimes."

"Best of luck then – to both of you" said Gorbrin. "I know how much it meant to me to get the scholarship at first; now, I'm reeling a bit from being a Malfoy."

"Huh, hardly surprising" said Clem "If you knew Malfoys like I know Malfoys you'd boggle at the very thought, nutters every last one of them. I mean look at Draco or the twins – loonies."

The Malfoys laughed.

Another head came round the door, a handsome, languid black boy.

"uugh, animals!" he said in disgust.

Erica and Hadrian had both been well trained by cousins and had a range of jinxes far beyond the normal knowledge of first years; and the boy retreated howling with a sweater made of cactus and bats pouring out of his nose.

Erica and Hadrian reached across the carriage to high five each other.

The next head that came round was more convivial.

"I say, real people not blood snobs, snob snobs and bat snots!" it said.

"Hello Silvester" said Erica. "I did remember that right, didn't I?"

"Yes, JJ won't let me stay near his bunch of overgrown oiks and the rest seem a bit….well, there's a few decent ones but they seem to be quiet serious types or Ming Chang whose even more of a loonie than his sister and is trying to hex all the big people."

"Oh well, when they clean the train they'll find his body jinxed into a ball under a seat somewhere" said Erica. "Mei's a friend of my cousin Lydia; she's all right but I heard she was pretty wild at first."

"Wild? If he's only wild, centaurs are dead friendly, spiders have one or two legs and Professor Snape is a little bit ironic!" said Silvester.

They laughed; and someone produced a couple of packs of exploding snap cards.

oOoOo

The prefects meeting required very little time.

"Abraxus everyone?" said Romulus. There was a murmur of assent, with a couple of dissenting voices.

"Myrtle has been here longer than anyone else" said Hufflepuff youth, Charlie Trout.

"Yeah, long enough to know she's hate the job" said Kinat "Trust me, she's my best friend's girlfriend; and she'd be uncomfortable. Any other suggestions?"

"Why do the Slytherin not trust Hawke Malfoy?" asked a Ravenclaw snidely.

"If we had either of the Malfoy twins on their own we'd stand by them" said Romulus "Because either one could do it well; but Abraxus will do it better; and Hawke will be at his back and support him. There's a false pride and lack of integrity and – and failure to consider the good of the school in sticking to one's own house head just because. Hawke knows Abraxus is better than him for the job; and he let us know in no uncertain terms. Hawke might be cleverer but Abraxus has the leadership qualities. Still, why do I bother? You silly clunches will vote blindly on the Ravenclaw ticket because you don't care for the good of the school."

Various Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors sat on the Ravenclaws and Slytherin to prevent an unseemly brawl developing; and the votes were cast hastily without further ado before any more scuffles broke out since it would, said Lionel severely, look bad to the lower school of too many prefects – and hulking great sixth formers at that – sported bruises, bats or tentacles on the face.

oOoOo

Gorbrin was quite awed at the size of the castle, its lights streaming onto the lake where Hagrid waited with boats for the youngest.

"Are the horses pulling the carriages for the bigger ones all right?" he said "They look awful skinny."

"What horses?" said Silvester "There aren't any horses."

"Yes there are" said Mischa "They're called Thestrals and you can only see them when you have seen death."

"I don't believe you!" said Meliandra Bulstrode in a voice that showed that she was scared.

"Why not? It's true" said Erica "I can't see them yet but I know people who can. I forgot I was told they use Thestrals for the carriages."

"Nah then, nah then, who knows about Thestrals then?" said Hagrid.

"Mischa was explaining what they were called to those of us that can see them, sir" said Gorbrin.

"Ah! Not good at all that little kids like you can see them, a real shame" said Hagrid, sighing. "Too much death there's been… 'Ow many of you can see them?"

Gorbrin, Jardek, Jazka, Vasilica, Mischa and Stacey raised their hands, and surprisingly the black blood snob. Also a few of the Rowan house people.

"Well, whatever people say about them bein' bad luck ain't true" said Hagrid "Gentle creatures they are; it's just if you can see them, chances are you've had bad luck."

"Professor Hagrid will be teaching more on the subject as you approach OWL level" said David, reminding Hagrid gently thus that they had to be away "And I shall bring a field trip of any Care of Magical Beast OWL students I have to see them, or their presence evidenced by eating and moving through the vegetation, Miss Enfield if you make any more faces like that you may end up the subject of a lesson on a strange kind of beast yourself, please try to look more like a being and less like an erumpant having a fit."

This was the girl who had wanted to find Malfoys; SHE was going to be trouble, sneering at the goblins who had seen death as she was.

oOoOo

The older children were at the House tables when the youngsters arrived. Erica gave Gorbrin's hand a squeeze; and he squeezed hers back.

There were three 'B's first, Theo Barnet who seemed to have happy family members greeting him in Hufflepuff; Erasmus Bobbin, to Slytherin, where he was greeted by a few rather stony faced people although they clapped politely . They looked like two main families; Malfoys, and a dark haired, narrow faced, prominent nosed pair. Meliandra Bulstode went to Slytherin too. She seemed a weird kid, thought Gorbrin, spoilt but maybe something more to her.

"Not surprising" muttered Erica of her placement "She's related to us through a couple of cousins and to Clem too."

Silvester was a Gryffindor, following a lad called Jordan Christie; Wilfrid Crabbe was Slytherin. He was greeted with little more than politeness too. Ming Chang went to Ravenclaw where he was cheered but firmly cuffed by a girl who looked like him.

As he was wet all up one arm from having nearly fallen in the lake there was some excuse for this.

There were others Gorbin did not catch the names of; then the girl Polly, the elf, bearing the surname Kirrin; and the school gasped.

"Polly comes to us a year late for various reasons" said Professor Dumbledore. "She will go into the second in the house in which she fetches up."

Polly beamed and put on the Hat.

"Gryffindor" it said without hesitation.

There was a yell of approval from the Gryffindor table.

If the HAT accepted her they were more than willing to do so. Polly ran to the Gryffindor table and was embraced by a girl who looked like yet another Malfoy.

This was probably the Lydia she had mentioned, who was, if Gorbrin remembered correctly a cousin surnamed Snape with a Malfoy mother.

And finally they got to the 'M's.

Erica was declared in Slytherin after a bit of a pause; and Hadrian in Gryffindor without any time at all. Then it was Gorbrin Malfoy-Tobak being called; and all eyes were on him as he went to the stool, half wondering if his legs were going to fail him.

He sat down thankfully and placed the hat on his head.

"_**You think of Slytherin…you could be a Ravenclaw and shine with your talents; or a Gryffindor for your courage"**_ he heard the voice in his head. He thought hard.

"_**Lucius has done so much for me, for us; I want to make him proud of me in HIS house."**_

"_**You'll be the first Slytherin Goblin"**_

"_**I bet I won't be the last."**_

The hat chuckled gently; and announced out loud,

"Slytherin!"

The Slytherin table cheered; some more enthusiastically than others, but one clapping loudly was the prefect who had seen them onto the train, and another was an obvious Malfoy with the head of house badge on, who gave him a 'thumbs' up' too.

"Was it chatting to you too?" said Erica.

"It wanted me to be a Ravenclaw; I didn't want to be a Ravenclaw" said Gorbrin "Or a Gryffindor. I'm going to make Lucius proud of me here."

"Damn right young Malfoy-Tobak!" called the head of house. "Lucius is all right!"

Vasilica was the next of their friends to be sorted; and she went into Gryffindor; as did Stacey right behind her.

"Straight thinking and honourable, that's a blow to Kordach!" giggled a black haired girl, the one he had noticed before. She was a prefect too.

"Don't be unkind, Willow" said the boy who looked like her, also a prefect.

"Why not? I'm a Slytherin, I have a permit to be unkind" said Willow.

Mischa, named Mikhail for formality, was also a Gryffindor. The Gryffindors did seem to be good at cheering, Gorbrin conceded.

Jaska was the next one they knew; she looked both terrified and determined; and the hat again, after a brief pause said,

"Slytherin!"

Gorbrin was now one of the ones to cheer and clap.

"Your girlfriend is she?" said Wilfrid Crabbe with a sneer.

"She's a friend; and she's a girl. I'm too young for a girlfriend" said Gorbrin.

"Nicely said, young Malfoy" said Willow.

"Malfoy- TOBAK if you please" said Gorbrin.

"Apologies; but accept that you're likely to get shortened for convenience in day to day" said Willow. "Drives Lynx Black-Weasley up the pole; Professor Snape calls her Weasley just to wind her up, from when she had a Weasley moment early in her career. It makes her work harder for him just to prove she's not a duffer at potions like seven tenths of Weasleys tend to be, is that your friend, by the way?"

It was Jardak; and Gorbrin was a little rueful that the Hat placed him in Gryffindor.

"You had more choices" said Willow quietly "Judging by the time it took; and that means you made a value judgement yourself and gave yourself to us; for Lucius I'm guessing?" Gorbrin nodded. She went on "And that's loyalty; and believe me we appreciate that, and NEED that in Slytherin house. We've had our problems – still have some – and some good blood will help cure them further. That we have our first goblin – goblins, even, - speaks a lot of how we've improved since Kinat came. He's in the Upper Sixth like me; in one school lifetime we've gone from one Gryffindor goblin to several goblins over two houses and a free house elf. Mischa don't count; Hagrid was the first half giant here. He was a Gryff; like his adopted son there. No, you couldn't call Mischa Hagrid as a surname; there's only one Hagrid, he's sort of unique."

"Has he got another name?"

"Yes….um….Rubeus!" said Willow in triumph.

Last to be sorted was the blood snob boy who seemed to have his sweater and his nose sorted out now; his name was Darryl Zabini.

He sneered at Gorbrin who had clapped politely.

"You're no more pleased to see me than I am to see you" he said.

"No; but maybe I have nicer manners" said Gorbrin.

He got a laugh at that and a look of fury from Zabini who did not like having his manners compared unfavourably to those of a goblin!

And then the head rose.

"We have had a few hard acts to follow in terms of Head Boys and Girls lately" he said "But again I have to say the prefects have chosen one with an overwhelming majority with whose choice I wholeheartedly concur; though he has had a little more competition than in some previous years."

Gryffindors and Slytherin had worked out by this time that it was one of the Malfoy twins since the other houses were headed by girls.

Dumbledore went on,

"I must say I am impressed by the wisdom of my prefects; though either one of the Malfoy twins would, I feel sure, lead the school admirably, the school has worked out which of the two tends to be the more dominant and have voted in Abraxus Malfoy!"

The Gryffindors went wild; and the Slytherin hardly less so, and Myrtle's friends in Hufflepuff who knew she did not want the job but would back her boyfriend to the hilt.

The lower school in Ravenclaw house cheered madly – at least the Marauder types did – as Abraxus was a Marauder.

Abraxus rose to address the school.

"What can I say?" he grinned. "You see before you a Malfoy and a Marauder, both paradigms of perfection personified."

"Too much Pee in that!" shouted Mei Chang.

"Ah, taking the pee from me already" quipped Abraxus as quick as a flash. "I am honoured to do my best for the school that has done so much for me. I'm sure you'll all stand by me; whatever we get this year, whether it's Huorns or only Ming Chang. Or do I mean whether it's Ming Chang or only Huorns? Thank you people" he said, as the crack of laughter over that died down; and bowed with profound respect to Dumbledore before going to his seat.

An older girl was trying to persuade the new first year Slytherin girls – except Jazka – that they should follow her for their own protection.

"I'm Priscilla Parkinson and I have excellent connections and know my way about you know" she said.

"You're still only a wart and I know about you anyway" said Erica. "Leo Black-Weasley says you don't manage to qualify for what the cat dragged in. If I have any trouble I'm going to my cousin Jade Snape; she can jinx any twenty of YOU into the ground so don't even start, c'mon Clem, c'mon Jazzy." And she hooked one arm into her cousin's and the other into her admiring goblin friend's.

Another young Slytherin called Sybele Safell declared that she didn't join gangs – any gangs – but Hyacinth Greengrasse and Meliandra Bulstrode wavered; and were dominated.

"You could hang with us Malfoy types Melly" said Gorbrin.

"Stay out of this, trash" said Priscilla.

"SHE has the choice" said Gorbrin.

"You're a boy" said Meliandra "And your sister doesn't like me."

Before Gorbrin had a chance to suggest trying to see if that was really so, Priscilla hustled the two first year girls away.

oOoOo

Higher up Slytherin House's hierarchy, Dione was having a goodnight kiss.

Her blood now sang in sympathy with the other of her to-be lovers; for Severus had declared that he could not reach properly when she did not have the same advantages as Sirri and that they could blood her fully later. It was good to feel him; to have an inkling of what he and Krait had, to understand how hard it had been for him to want her at all when comparing normal senses to this additional sense. She thrilled to the sharing together, even though she was peripheral; and as the other two women drew her in and encouraged her to participate fully until the wonderful day that she had become Severus' mistress fully, she learned more through the blood bond and her love deepened even further.

"You know I'm going to be tough on you, my dear?" he said, stroking her pale hair.

"Yes, Professor Snape" she peeped under her lashes at him.

"Quite right too" he said. "I had a few raised eyebrows accepting you at all with only an 'A' at OWLs; people normally have to talk very fast if they achieve an 'E' you know."

"I am very grateful" she said "I had another 'E' but I didn't think I could bear the tedium of NEWT level Ancient Runes and I wanted to do four NEWTs. I – I can achieve that can't I?"

"Assuredly; if you continue working as you have been" said Severus "You are a clever girl, Dione, and determined. Your brains and determination went a little astray. Still, you have the makings of a good spell designer; the fluorescent fart jinx that has become so fashionable is yours, isn't it?"

She flushed.

"Yes" she said "And not for any reputable purpose"

"Jinxes rarely are" said Severus "I made up a number of spells that run from the reprehensible – _Levicorpus_ for example, and its reverse, to the downright nasty. _Sectumsempra_ opens cuts all over; useful for fighting but NOT a corridor curse."

"I was working on a variant of the tickling charm" said Dione all wide eyed innocence.

He raised an eyebrow. She concentrated and invisible, insubstantial fingers ran down his body.

"I am beset by bad girls" he said, pulling her to him for a thorough kissing. "Now go to bed; and accept being aroused without respite as my detention for that!"

She went, giggling.

She knew that she had a home now, and that she was loved; not as profoundly as Krait was loved but more, she suspected than many girls were likely to have as the only wife of their husband; and certainly far more than a woman in an arranged marriage for blood tie purposes. And Narcissa Malfoy was lucky at that to have found love with Lucius, and to share him with his muggle mistress, and now goblin mistress, not lose him to them. And Dione, herself a girl of the upper classes from similar bloodlines knew that Narcissa knew it; and in loving Lucius was willing to love his women to keep his love for her. It was not like that in their ménage; it was Krait's generous spirit that allowed her and Sirri to share; that Krait and Severus had so much love for each other that they could afford to let in the two who loved them so deeply and let their love spread. And Dione was grateful every day that Krait was so generous, and had been pleased to help Sirri deliver Krait's tiny and red daughter ten minutes before the express was due to leave. Draxana Harriet was determined to be awkward, Krait had declared cheerfully, and would probably continue in that tradition all her life; and named after a precious pair like Draco and Harry who would be surprised.

Severus had apparated Dione to school to be in time to meet the train and Krait was to follow later with sundry infants.

Dione sighed happily.

They were partly her babies too; and she loved them all. The older ones she knew less well; but Jade, who had seemed a little ill disposed towards her had come back from her camp, kissed her and told her that she was all right.

This was Jade speak for 'I'm sorry I've been a pain actually I think I'm learning to love you' and with the blood joining,, even a partial one, Dione interpreted that correctly.

She had hugged Jade back and told her she would never let anyone down.

This seemed to be the right thing to say, because Jade had beamed at her; and had been perfectly natural since.

It was a hard situation for someone as old as Jade, or even Lydia; though Romulus seemed to take it in his stride and asked if she was sleeping with his dad yet in a tone of polite enquiry that made it clear he was quite at ease with her to do so.

She must hide her elation in Severus' company at school of course; but if he was going to shout at her, downcast eyes would be quite in order.

And peeping up at him from time to time as well of course.

Dione was happy.

And she was going to work hard and show Severus and Krait and Sirri that they could be proud of her too and that when she was with them fully that they need not regret it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Tanjela had decided to talk to her other children as soon as possible and gathered them about her.

"How well do you remember your father?" she asked, wistfully.

"Not awfully well" said Griselen.

"He was always smiling and he used to pick us up one with each arm" said her twin, Genavka

"YES" said Griselen "And Zajala would cry 'me too, me too'."

Zajala said

"I just remember he was THERE and – and Daddyish."

"He was gentle" remembered Genavka "He never shouted at us the way some fathers shout. I bet he'd be really happy for us to be at Hogwarts and not to just have to have babies."

"Do you think he would be pleased if there was a man who was ready to be a second father to you?" asked Tanjela.

"Oh I should expect so" said Griselen "But Torlo does his best to be there for the boys, doesn't he?"

"Mummy, have you met someone you want to marry?" asked Genavka bluntly.

Here it is, thought Tanjela and swallowed hard.

"Yes" she said.

"Well so long as we don't DISlike him it isn't up to us, is it?" said Genavka.

Griselen scowled.

"But we need to like him" she said, sounding nervous "Oh mummy, please say you're not going to go with Kordach, I don't think I should like that!"

"No I'm not" Tanjela reassured her.

"Who is it? Who is it?" shouted Gennar, jumping up and down.

"Have we met him?" demanded Griselen. The louder of the older twins, sometimes it was hard to remember that she was perhaps the more vulnerable one.

"Yes, you have met him, and you seemed to like him on first sight" said Tanjela "Do you remember the wizard who came to test our Gorbrin?"

They stared.

"A – a human?" said Genavka in a small voice.

"But – but will he treat you right? I mean, a human…." Said Griselen "And he's married, won't that make you like one of Kordach's women?"

"I'll answer that first if I may" said Tanjela "Kordach has women for decorative purposes, and when he tires of them he discards them; goes through several in a year usually. Lucius refers to his women, both of the others, as his wives. He's been married to Narcissa for twenty odd years and to Charlotte – well, her Erica is the same age as Gorbrin, but she's been living with him for four years. It's to do with him helping to fight Voldemort. She's a muggle you see and he was pretending to be friendly with Voldemort to set him up." The 'girls' had explained more of the background to Tanjela but she did not think long and complex explanations about Jonathon Malfoy and so-on were called for just yet. "And he has asked me to hold equal position with them as his wife."

"Does Gorbrin know?" asked Zajala suddenly "HE's the man of the house."

"Gorbrin knows and he gave me his blessing" said Tanjela "And he prefers to call Lucius 'Lucius' than dad, because he still remembers daddy so well of course."

"He was nice" said Griselen cautiously "So long as he won't use you and dump you."

"And his wives don't bully you for being a goblin" said Genavka.

"I get on really well with Charlotte and Narcissa; they couldn't have been nicer to me" said Tanjela "You KNOW when people are just making an effort and don't really like you; but we might have all been the same race and known each other for years the way they spoke to me. I don't believe he'd dump me; that's gut feeling. And – and I don't think the others would let him. And he wanted people at Hogwarts to know he looked on Gorbrin as a son; that kind of says a lot, doesn't it? Gorbrin has taken HIS name as well as your fathers; as a double-barrelled name. Lucius will like you to do the same."

Zajala pulled her arm.

"Can he come and spend some time with us before he comes to live with us?" she said.

"I think it's a good idea to spend time with him…but we shall be going to live with him. He has other children you see; well, you played with them, didn't you? And it was rather a squash just for an afternoon I expect!"

"Does he have a nice house?" asked Gennar "I like Nathan."

"I think he has a nice house" said Tanjela "I've never been there yet; it's in the country."

"Is there a garden like Kordach has?" Zelinn, one of the younger twins spoke up "I'd like a garden."

"And we could pick flowers for you, mummy" said her twin, Zakala.

"And Drogo and me could run about and get messy and not have to be stopped" said little Varjak "Drogo makes mud puddles in his garden and makes bricks with it to build things. But Brega said we couldn't go in the street to make mud puddles to make bricks."

"Quite right too" said Tanjela "I'm sure you'll make some lovely mud bricks with Drogo, sweetheart."

"He's rather rich isn't he?" said Zajala shrewdly "It would be nice to be able to have pretty clothes like that Burke girl. I would like to be rich."

"He is a good man and he would still be a good man if he were poor" said Tanjela severely "Though I confess, I am glad to know that he is rich enough not to turn a hair at taking on another eight children. Or I should feel very guilty."

"Tell him to come and get to know us" said Griselen. "I don't care how rich he is; he needs to be nice. We can manage; you taught us to be good managers."

"You are all good children; I'll send an owl right now; if I write a message, perhaps you twins will go to the Owlery in Obscura Alley."

The twins nodded happily.

oOoOo

Lucius came the moment he got the owl.

Tanjela was a good and conscientious mother! He took Nathan, Bella, Drogo and small Harry Dursley, whom he introduced to Varjak as another friend of Drogo's who lived very close. Dudley was quite pleased to get rid of a lively small boy for a while with the baby teething! He asked the children to show him around the neighbourhood, and showed them the building where he was going to make newspapers.

"Like the 'Daily Prophet'?" asked Genavka.

"A great deal better than the 'Prophet' I should hope" said Lucius "With real news and telling the truth, not skewing it to please those in power."

"What's that mean 'zacly?" asked Gennar.

"It means that if someone like your daddy died and I reported on it I should print that a peaceful protest became a riot after the death of the leader in suspicious circumstances; not that, as the 'Prophet' actually reported that there had been another violent goblin riot" said Lucius. "It's hardly surprising that most humans see goblins as violent, contrary, dishonest and truculent – that's stubborn and cross – since that is what papers like the 'Prophet' tell them. And the only other paper we have is the 'Quibbler' which prints somewhere between fantasy and rubbish."

"It's quite funny though" said Genavka.

"Oh yes; and look on it from that aspect and there's no harm in it. Just don't let anyone try to get you to fund an expedition to search for crumple-horned snorcraks or whatever fictional beasts Mr Lovegood has dreamed out of his fevered imagination. Imagination is good, but not when you can't tell fact from fiction. My niece had an idea for a paper for women and girls too, called 'Witch and Kitchen' which isn't going to be such a gossip rag as 'Witch Weekly' but have articles about knitting and sewing and cooking as well as stories, and a children's page. You will be helping me, all of you, if you read the things for the children's page and decide what you like and what you don't; and whatever the most of you like will go in. Krait's children – she's my niece – will be helping with that too, and you'll all meet up to play regularly. And I'll banish you all into the garden in tents to protect my ears from noise and where I can pretend I don't know what you're all up to."

They giggled.

"Will they mind goblins?" said Griselen.

"Well hardly! They're decent people, or I shouldn't want to know them! Besides, one of Severus' wives – he's my niece's husband – is an elf so they have her older children adopted and her half elf daughter in THEIR family."

"Wouldn't that be hard for her giving birth?" said Genavka.

"Ah, now it would if she wasn't able to transfigure herself into being bigger" said Lucius "I think she spends a lot of time now in that form, because she and Krait can borrow each other's clothes then."

"Do all rich wizards have lots of wives then?" demanded Zajala and got a clip around the ear from Griselen.

"Show manners!" she said, shocked.

"Oh it is a valid question and I think, Griselen, she asked it in the spirit of enquiry not to be rude… it's not that usual. I'm just so arrogant I do what I want; and I have learned to love more than one woman. Severus and Krait have a habit of collecting people who need looking after; they have several adopted children as well as er, two extra wives. I want to be with your mother because she attracts me, not because I feel she needs looking after; she is strong. Which is not to say I do not want to look after her – and you – because I do. But that's different, isn't it?"

"Can we call you daddy?"demanded Gennar.

"Those of you who would like to are welcome to call me daddy" said Lucius. "Those of you who remember your own father with clarity may prefer to call me 'Lucius' as Gorbrin does."

"He's a very clever daddy to get me a nice brother" said Drogo smugly "I asked for one for Christmas but all we got was Andromeda who smelled. Varjak's just right."

oOoOo

Lucius pledged to come visiting twice a week until the children were comfortable with him. He took Torlo's and Brega's children with them sometimes, for instinct told him that Tanjela would not want her children to lose touch with their friends; and they would moreover be going to Hogwarts with his own and adopted children. Lucius was a political animal; and it was partly with an eye to goblin support that he continued fostering friendships past the urge he felt to right a wrong and his love for Tanjela. Lucius was not concerned with race but with ability; having seen that race was no bar to efficiency he had shrugged off racism as an inefficient encumbrance. He had also taken the opportunity to find out what Torlo's work was, and found him to be a trained clerk. Torlo was like the rest of those with Tobak blacklisted for the riot that had occurred despite having left before it started in order to take his son and Tobak's to safety.

"And THAT is wrong too" said Lucius "Guilt by association, even if the riot wasn't justified….I'll need plenty of people with clerkly skills in my newspaper, are you interested? I need someone right away to supervise the workmen and check everything that comes in, all the printing presses, to see that offices are set up for the different pages, if I tell you what I want would you consider taking the job and then going on to be office manager in charge of ordering paper, ink, other consumables and so on?"

"It sounds a lot more within my skill level and far more interesting than standing on a factory floor putting a nail in the left rear leg of a chair" said Torlo "If you'll have me Mr Malfoy, I'd take it like a shot."

"Good; you can start tomorrow if you like" said Lucius.

oOoOo

Tanjela continued to go to work in the meantime; she wanted her children to feel that everything was normal, and she did not want to put in her notice unless she was certain it was going to work out, for getting any job was hard enough for the widow of a dissident with small children. And she snatched moments with Lucius when he brought the children back and sent them next door for half an hour to be with her.

And the first moment they had alone he swept her into his arms and kissed her longingly; and Tanjela was kissing him back, hard, reaching round to stretch her hand up to entwine in his long soft hair, running her other hand down him in an abandon that almost shocked her. She was trembling when he lifted his lips from hers.

"But there's more than the lust" said Lucius softly "You inflame me Tanjela; but I admire you too for your spirit, your honour….and also I want you."

Tanjela murmured something incoherent into his chest, pushing against him.

"You are kind, Lucius and – and honest and I love your sardonic way of putting things" she said. "Tobak was verbally cynical but he always believed there were righteous wizards; and he was so kind and gentle too."

He cupped her face.

"I am gentle with my family, Tanjela; but I think Tobak was a nicer man than I. I am capable of extreme ungentleness you know; and I enjoy loosing my wit at those who irritate me. It's why I like Severus; he has a sarcastic tongue and the best turn of phrase I have ever heard in dissecting the shortcomings of anyone who has annoyed him."

She smiled wistfully.

"Sometimes I wished Tobak was a little more forceful, for the children's sake; and yet he was leading the protest. He could lead; he could show the way. But – I confess I was shocked and almost disbelieving to hear he was killed in a riot. He always maintained that riots were counterproductive and foolish."

"He was right of course; they only reinforced perceived stereotypes. I think I would have like Tobak very much" said Lucius. "I hope he would like me and approve of my love for you."

"He would want me to follow my heart" said Tanjela "And my heart wants to be yours."

And he kissed her again; and it went no further for the interruption of returning children and he raised his face from hers with a ruefully amused smile and a wink.

oOoOo

Tanjela had no idea how much more beautiful she was for being in love; for she glowed with happiness and anticipation of a life with Lucius.

Harris Warrington noticed however; though he was too obtuse a man to divine the cause for Tanjela's air of confidence and enhanced beauty.

"Well, well, my dear, you're looking particularly lovely today" he said.

"That's nice" said Tanjela, wishing the fat old fool wouldn't pass his heavy compliments after she had already turned him down.

"In fact" he leaned forward with a conspiratorial wink "You're looking so fine I think we might go out for a little meal together, hmm?"

"I don't think so" said Tanjela.

He pursed his rather pouty lips in disapproval.

"Tanjela, you have eight children – amazing how you kept your figure, by the way! – and you must be in straitened circumstances. Your continued refusal to let me help you out – just for a little bit of fun in return – is extremely irresponsible towards them, you know! Why, I do believe I'd even consider sending your eldest boy to that new school if you were a little friendlier!"

"Gorbrin won a scholarship to Hogwarts" said Tanjela, feeling sick with relief that the fool hadn't thought of suggesting this several months ago, knowing that Gorbrin hankered after education, knowing that for him she would have considered the humiliation of pleasuring her employer. "And the others have places of right because of it" she added hastily.

He looked most put out.

"Well! I must say you surprise me" he said.

"I wasn't surprised; he's very clever and able" said Tanjela.

"Excellent, excellent" said Warrington, angry, but concealing it, that he had lost that lever. He had thought the boy a year younger, damned difficult to guess the ages of goblins being so short as they were. "But it must be hard, finding school clothes and equipment; believe me, it will get harder with more children there, to keep them supplied in school. Now if you could just see your way…"

"Mr Warrington I have told you before and I will tell you again, nothing would make me even

TOUCH you if you were the last man on earth and my children were starving; because the only way I would look upon you in those circumstances would be as a nice fat hogroast!" said Tanjela angrily.

Harris Warrington's eyes glittered in fury – and lust.

He advanced on her and grabbed her.

Tanjela screamed and tried to get away; but he was human, bigger than her, stronger than her, pushing her down, his breath hot on her face.

She screamed again, knowing it was futile, knowing that none of the line workers would interfere even if they heard. They did not want to lose their jobs.

There was a loud CRAC!

The weight was lifted from her and there was Lucius, furious, hitting Mr Warrington with his bare hands, then with a twist, his wand was out of the cane he carried and jinx after jinx poured from it as Lucius uttered curse after icy curse.

Harris Warrington lay on the floor in a boneless mass, tentacles sprouting from his fleshy face, bats crawling out of his nose, pale green and twitching.

Lucius turned to Tanjela.

"Has he hurt you?"

She shook her head.

"Only a few bruises…Lucius, oh Lucius, how did you get here in time?"

He took her gently in his arms.

"I was coming to see the children – it's my day, remember? – and I wanted to see where you were working, because I thought I owed this fellow an ill favour anyway. And I heard your voice, my love, in terror and outrage and I guessed the worst; so I apparated to you and hoped there'd be room to land. I had to! You're coming with me now; and we're taking the children home to mine. I don't want you subjected to any other insult!"

"Thank you Lucius" she said, leaning on him.

"I need to organise transport" said Lucius "If I see you to the apartment will you be all right?"

She nodded.

"Just see me out of here" she murmured.

oOoOo

As if one creep in a day was not enough.

When Tanjela got home the unwelcome figure of Samuel Block was shouting through the apartment door,

"You're only making it worse for your mother, girl, by not letting me in!"

Tanjela's heart lurched; then she pulled herself together. This was bound to happen once he realised that investigations were under way.

"What do you want, Block?" she said crisply, trying to copy Narcissa's tone and leaving off the 'Mister' deliberately.

He stiffened and turned round.

"Home early Tanjela? Surely you haven't got the sack?"

"No, I resigned" said Tanjela "Not that it's any of your business… I repeat, Block, what do you want?"

"You would do well to treat me with more respect!" said Block "You are a troublemaker, Tanjela; and I suspect you've been spreading lies about me. I want it to stop or I shall go to the owner of this apartment and have you and your brats evicted; he won't want troublemakers on his premises."

"Too late, Block; we're moving anyway" said Tanjela, crisply, opening the door "Griselen, Genavka, start packing and help the little ones; we're moving as soon as transport arrives."

"Oh good" said Griselen "We were going to suggest it was a good time."

"Moving? Well of course if you're out of a job you'd have to downsize" sneered Block "But wherever you go, I can have you thrown out you know."

"REALLY?" said Tanjela "And there was me thinking that a privately owned home was inviolable."

"What do you mean?"

"We're all moving in with my new husband…. You ought to have a little respect, Block, I do NOT make you free with my first name you know." She had heard Lucius' light boyish tread on the stairs.

He sneered.

"Oh? And what is your married name then?"

"Malfoy" said Lucius from behind the ministry wizard, who started and squeaked. "And you were what – ah, who?"

"This is Samuel Block" said Tanjela "An insignificant little man in the Goblin Relations office. His idea of relations is a little strange but then as you can see he's rather an inadequate man himself."

Lucius surveyed a suddenly sweating Block.

"So I see" he said "What did it want?"

"He wanted to threaten me for allegedly telling lies" said Tanjela "He forgets that I am not a witness since I was not present when he murdered my husband. I just happen to be the only goblin he can tell apart from others and the one whom it tickles his sweaty little ego to attempt to persecute."

"Mr Malfoy, I have to tell you that there is a conspiracy against me" said Samuel Block trying to look earnest and succeeding in looking constipated. "The son of – of your good lady's husband conceived a disliking to me and has been stirring up trouble getting people to lay false testimony against me!"

"Hardly surprising that any child should feel resentment towards the person he saw murder his father, I'd say" drawled Lucius "But for your information it is not he who has been er, stirring and finding witnesses to give a testimony."

"Well somebody has! Do you know who then?"

"Oh yes" said Lucius "It's me."

Block went pale.

"But – wh-why?" he tried "A good law abiding wizard of excellent family such as yourself. Mr Malfoy, why do you want to make trouble for a good law abiding wizard like me that was only doing his duty?"

His voice finished on a whine and Lucius thought of Peter Pettigrew as Wormtail fawning on Voldemort and suppressed a shudder.

"Because you're a lying little creep, that's why" he said, pleasantly.

"I – if Tobak wasn't dead you wouldn't get the chance to er, be with the lovely Tanjela" he modified what he had been going to say, seeing the hardness come into Lucius' eyes at the formation of a crude word in his mind.

"That is not the point" said Lucius coldly "Though I should be poorer by that, I would not have known it."

"Oh she has no wealth at all, if she's told you she has she's lying!" said Block eager to discredit Tanjela.

Lucius gazed at him in incomprehension for a moment before he realised what the fellow meant.

"You measure richer and poorer purely in monetary terms? What a sad little creature you are to be sure!"

"Easy for YOU to say, Mr Malfoy" said Block resentfully.

"No, easy for anyone who has the love of family to say!" retorted Tanjela "I have been poverty stricken but I was ALWAYS richer than you could imagine with the love of my wonderful children! You are nothing! You are just a little, insignificant worm who has nothing, is nothing and will never amount to anything – or you'd not feel a need to grind down those you see as less powerful than you! Now get out of my sight and never darken it again! And if you go for your wand, you creep, Lucius is a greater wizard than you; HE'S FOUGHT VOLDEMORT!"

"I shall bring counter plaints about bias, Mr Malfoy" said Block "That you have a personal interest, that you were in fact a deatheater – I know someone who saw Morsmordre on your arm!"

Lucius laughed.

"Yes of course I had morsmordre on my arm!" he said "As I WAS undercover acting under Dumbledore's orders….as to my personal interest, THAT would only be of any account were I involved in the case officially in any capacity bar that of supporting my adopted son Gorbrin when he gives evidence."

Block was a ghastly hue.

"But…. Supporting goblins over humans….."

Lucius had suddenly had enough.

He smiled genially, kicked Block's feet out from underneath him, jinxed him into a sphere shape and kicked him down the stairs.

There were thins screams and the sounds of bouncing.

Griselen and Genavka clapped loudly and then flung themselves on him for a hug.

"Oh Lucius we DO love you!" said Griselen "I wish I knew how to do that! It was so scary, him calling through the door and telling us to make haste and fetch Gorbrin so he could explain the consequences of his – he said NAUGHTINESS – to him."

"And we told him we couldn't fetch Gorbrin because he's gone to Hogwarts" said Genavka "And he said we were lying!"

Lucius' eyes narrowed.

"My poppets, you could not know, but that might cause a little trouble, that he knows that Gorbrin is at Hogwarts; when I have you home I must go and apprise Dumbeldore that he may attempt to bully and blackmail your brother and persuade him not to give testimony for threats to you or your mother. Still, we know he is ready to act in an underhand way as he came when he assumed your mother would not be around to browbeat and threaten you, and expect to threaten Gorbrin. Have you packed?"

"N…no" said Griselen "We were listening, first to support mummy, and then listening to you bullying him so beautifully."

Lucius laughed.

"One of my accomplishments, bullying creeps; you will learn it in time, my dears, Malfoys take it to an art form. And Tanjela, may I say from what I heard, you were magnificent!"

She flushed.

"I felt quite sick inside I assure you! But I knew we were free of him, safe with you, and able to leave almost immediately! It gave me courage to know I was not alone anymore…"

"My darling, you will NEVER be alone any more" said Lucius. "Even if he managed to have me killed – an unlikely proposition, everyone up to and including Voldemort have tried unsuccessfully over the years – you would have the girls and the wider circle of what I count as my family. They would extract vengeance in no uncertain terms!"

"Be careful though, won't you?" Tanjela clung to him. He kissed her gently.

"It's what I'm best at" he smiled. "Let's finish that packing; I have an Abraxan drawn pantechnicon awaiting without for My Lady wife and assorted offspring."

"You can't help us pack, Lucius!" said Griselen scandalised "You'd be handling KNICKERS!"

"Then I shall help the boys" said Lucius, manfully swallowing a shout of laughter "Though fathers are allowed a little more leeway than strange men you know."

"You tan pack for us" said Zelinn "Zakala an' me don't care."

There was little enough to pack; a few clothes and one or two knick-knacks that Tanjela lovingly wrapped.

"An ornament that Tobak won at a fair for me and things the children have bought as birthday gifts" she explained a little defensively to Lucius. He nodded.

"And such things given with love are worth more than costly gifts given with an eye to the impact of the price" he said. "I want to deck you in rubies; not because of their value, but because they have value for their beauty and would look well on you. Neither Narcissa nor Charlotte can wear rubies."

"Silly" said Tanjela, touching his face.

"Men are allowed to be over their women" said Lucius "It's in the rules."

And then they were going down, Lucius effortlessly wafting the baggage with his wand; and into the huge flying coach.

The children had never flown before; and nor had Tanjela, for they had gone to Diagon Alley in the silver Rolls Royce. It was an exciting experience!

And then there was Malfoy Manor, and Tanjela gasped.

She knew, intellectually, that he had a large house; but nothing had prepared her for the size of the mansion that was to be her new home!

And yet when they landed and the other children ran out, and Narcissa and Charlotte came forward, smiling, with their hands extended in welcome, she knew it was to be home indeed!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Gorbrin meanwhile was settling in to school and enjoying himself no end. He loved all the lessons – and was surprised to find that he was performing so well in all of them compared to some of those from families long used to education!

Being a serious child he took Madam McGonagall's warnings about the dangers of transfiguration to heart but found very little trouble in the first simple transfiguration they were set, turning a matchstick into a needle. Bored with waiting he took several more matches out of the box and made a set of different needles, such as his mother had for the various running repairs growing boys required.

Madam McGonagall looked over his shoulder.

"Och weel I see we have anither one" she said resignedly.

"Another what, Professor?" said Gorbrin, anxiously, afraid he had done it wrong.

"Anither one wi' enough talent tae get crreative" said McGonagall "At least ye havenae threaded one wi' silver and green thread."

"Er…did you want me to?"

"Can ye?"

"I don't know Ma'am" said Gorbrin earnestly, taking out another matchstick.

It was hard, challenging; but he managed, panting slightly.

"Mr Malfoy-Tobak, I shall charrrge ye straitly noo tae NO' go experimentin' wi'oot perrrmision" said McGonagall.

"Yes Professor. I mean, no Professor" said Gorbrin.

Charms were no harder; it was hardly a challenge to get a pineapple dancing and pirouetting across the desk and little Flitwick exclaimed in delight.

"Like this, class! Just like Mr Malfoy here!"

Gorbrin opened his mouth to protest the name and shut it again. Doubtless Professor Flitwick found the 'Malfoy' half easier to remember.

Arithmancy was stimulating; hard but logical and Gorbrin felt satisfaction at the way numbers arranged themselves neatly into patterns.

Defense Against the Dark arts was fun, Professor Lupin a good and enthusiastic teacher leading a discussion of how to tell a dark creature from a dangerous one and gently leading the class to the answer that the difference lay in intent of malice.

"Which I guess makes Priscilla Parkinson a dark creature and Wilfrid Crabbe just a nasty one" Erica whispered.

"Whilst I prefer not to have heard any specific names mentioned there Miss Malfoy – and five points from Slytherin for an uncalled for comment – I should like to point out that in sooth beings – those of us with free will – make the choice of being dark beings or otherwise" said Professor Lupin "Voldemort picked those who had some resentment or other at a time when they were vulnerable – during their teenage years when all problems loom large and we cannot decide if the opposite sex constitute all that is desirable or are dark creatures – and worked on the petty selfishness to which most are prone to a greater or lesser extent. This is an essential part of the human – or goblin, or giant, or centaur or whatever – psyche as it is in small babies since we need to take care of ourselves through a time of great physical and emotional changes. A teacher recognises, as does a wise parent, that teenagers are moody, grouchy, antisocial, and really can be at times downright unpleasant while their bodies fight with the changes they go through. For some of us a little more profound than others; some of you will already know that until I field-tested Professor Snape's cure, I was a werewolf. It put a bit of a crimp in my social life at Hogwarts, I can tell you!" there was laughter at that and Professor Lupin grinned "I was lucky to have some good friends; others my own age with their own problems did not. Tom Riddle – let us give him his real name – used their troubles to erode their very souls and turned them from the normal but ordinary dangerous creatures that the average teenager is – at least from the point of view of we poor Professors" – there was more laughter – "Into dark creatures. I have made a funny story of it; but remember you are all in control of your own destiny – until events have taken you too far to escape from evil. It is not, Miss Malfoy, an accusation to make lightly however much of a nuisance someone might make of themselves. Remember I beg you that most bullies are deeply unhappy people who must find some way of making themselves feel big; and they make themselves one-up by making others one-down. If you have trouble I suggest you go to an older girl in your house, like Jade Snape or Lynx Weasley if you prefer not to trouble a prefect."

"I'm sorry professor" said Erica "I was just thinking about apparent intent."

He nodded.

"But intent at the age of schoolchildren is often driven by external circumstances" he said "And you should try to be as tolerant as possible whilst protecting yourself from any apparent malice."

"I shall sir" said Erica earnestly.

It was an interesting sideline; especially knowing that Lucius had been one of those dragged down the dark path by Tom Riddle and had overcome it.

Divination was fun too; dowsing for chocolate. Gorbrin had no more or less success than anyone else; save Albert MacMillan who seemed to be close to being a squib in most lessons but returned triumphantly with a dozen or more chocolate frogs.

"Well I can see we shall have to work on your excellent dowsing skills, Albert" said Madam Spikenard enthusiastically "A good dowser is worth his weight in gold!"

Albert glowed.

Without making him feel unwanted, his family had always left him feeling a little worthless.

Madam Spikenard had a quiet word too for Gorbrin.

"One day, young man, you may have to make a choice; and the incentives offered you may seem attractive. I would strongly advise you however to cling to what you hold most dear; and remember and believe in all your father taught you."

Gorbrin paled.

"Did you know my father Ma'am?"

"No lad; but I know him through your face and the touches of past and future that hang around your destiny. You can be a force for good; or ill, though the latter will appear to hold a face of good."

"You mean I shouldn't get suckered into leading goblin riots because my new father has influence?"

"I would say you have the common sense that is for most people a better way of divining the future than crystal balls. For a few of us divination works; and it is taught here to find those few. Healthy cynicism in predictions is the better route; for I suspect you may be the subject of prophecy. Just remember, nine out of ten prophecies are never fulfilled" said Madam Spikenard "Especially if nobody forces the issue. Lead by example; not by crazy prophets who generally have their own agendas anyway"

"Thank you Madam Spikenard; I'll remember."

She smiled.

"Somehow I doubt you will – yet. School is too exciting. In ten, fifteen years however this conversation will return to you and ring in your ears when somebody tries to use you."

That was a scary thought.

Gorbrin knew what was right; eschew violence and take the peaceful route save in self defence and the defence of family and loved ones. Lucius claimed that judicious attack was sometimes the best form of defence; but that word judicious made all the difference.

Besides, that was Lucius; and Lucius was flamboyant.

oOoOo

It was Potions to which Gorbrin looked forward the most. It was taught to the lower school by Madam Malfoy, who was Lucius' niece and married to Professor Snape though she used her maiden name to teach with. She had arrived at the first night feast a little late with a very new baby attached to one breast to the embarrassment of some, the amusement of others and totally ignored by the upper school as though normal. After a brief conversation with the Head, Dumbledore had introduced small Draxana Harriet whose late arrival that very morning had placed Madam Malfoy uncharacteristically behind schedule. Small Draxana Harriet had thrown up on Professor Lupin who had declared that she already knew who her godfather was. He did not seem to mind.

When they went to their first class, the baby was in the potions dungeon in a sling between two pillars fast asleep. There were noises of the type of a small child playing in the huge cauldron at the back of the room, which also had a big black snake coiled round the edge.

Madam Malfoy ignored the infants utterly save to wave a hand for a rocking charm when the baby stirred slightly.

"Well my children" she said "Spells can be spectacular and have great effect; and I do not expect many of you to grasp the power and subtlety of the effects that may be brewed in the softly simmering cauldron; nor to thrill with excitement as the shimmering fumes dance to your command and the colours of your brew change under your dedicated and precise stirring; but in the art of potioneering you may produce fluids that course through the veins changing the thoughts in the mind, enchanting the senses. I could teach you to brew glory, luck, fame….and life itself; if there are any amongst you with the patience, the dedication and the precision to learn Mr Tobak you have a question."

"Professor, I have brewed potions from books and they tell the number of stirs to use but sometimes it works better with a different number or direction."

"That's because you're too stupid to count, Goblin scum" said Zabini "OWK!" as he jerked out of his chair and changed into a large wriggling woodlouse. Some of the girls screamed.

"Good grief, what a childish row" said Madam Malfoy "You're not hurt, be silent and stop making idiots of yourselves. Mr Zabini. Yes, I was at school with your brother… I trust YOU may learn a few lessons he failed to or somebody may come up with the ideas I had to send him home on our last day….had to go to St Mungo's I believe to have the pustules dealt with. I do not tolerate racist comments – from ANYONE, this means you too, Mr Tobak if you ever feel like retaliating in kind. But to answer your extremely sensible question; the book is not always perfect. I hope that you wrote down the changes that you made, Mr Tobak; or will do so if you can remember them. I expect you found as many of us do that Pepperup Potion works much better if a widdershins turn starts the brewing process?"

"Yes Ma'am, I did."

"I have seen your Pepperup potion; I though you might have found that out since it is a darker purple than most proprietary brews" said Krait. "Those of you who wish to take potioneering seriously should attempt to follow arithmancy; you will find it useful at higher levels. Has anyone else done any potion making at home? No? Miss Petruscu and Mr Prince? Ah yes; well, then bear with us you two and we shall start from scratch; Mr Tobak I do not believe you will have picked up bad habits but I shall be watching you closely to make sure you have not. Easier to unlearn NOW than later. I know where Miss Petrescu and Mr Prince learned their potioneering and I am satisfied with THOSE sources"

"Yes ma'am; thank you ma'am" said Gorbrin.

"Prince learned from Professor Snape himself" hissed Erica "He's his cousin."

Madam Malfoy dictated a list of ingredients and sent the class to look for them; and released the woodlouse

"You may apologise to Mr Tobak now or return for a detention after school" she said.

"I'd rather have a detention then apologise to…him" he said.

"Your choice."

Professor Malfoy then took them through, a step at a time, the boil cure potion. It was one Gorbrin knew well and he had difficulty keeping down to the speed of the rest of the class. Madam Malfoy nodded to him as he fumed.

"You may complete in your own time, Mr Tobak, bottle and label your solution and help any of your friends who are having trouble" she said. "You will have to put up with the rest of the class catching up with your abilities I'm afraid."

Gorbrin was amazed.

He had never had any trouble with any of the potions he had brewed; but some of the class were fumbling and stirring most clumsily and seemed to find the whole business quite stressful. Vasilica was performing with some aplomb but Daniel Prince did not seem to have any great joy in it, despite being Professor Snape's cousin. The only ones who were not making heavy weather of it were the self opinionated Wilfrid Crabbe, a black lad from Gryffindor called Elmo Toward and Ming Chang who looked as though he had everything well in hand and managed a cheeky grin to Gorbrin, mouthing 'arithmancy for us then!'

Gorbrin grinned back and nodded.

When he had finished he helped Erica who was not in difficulties but was not finding it easy!

Silvester Crouch-Jones came in for praise though his potion was not a great colour.

"Mr Jones, I have to say you're more than adequate; a definite improvement on your brother and, by all accounts the entire previous generation. My congratulations." Madam Malfoy looked around. "Goodness, not one of you seems to be a total dunderhead at potions… I think that's almost a record. Maybe none of you will blow up cauldrons or set fire to them. Some of you are excellent, and two I think may have the potential to be great. Don't get cocky. Very well, decant and then dismissed."

Ming came over to Gorbrin.

"That was awfully good fun, how come you've done stuff before?"

"I got a book and I was trying to earn enough to go to Rowan House" said Gorbrin. Ming seemed a straight sort of boy. "Then my stepdad as he now is came to test me for a scholarship and he met my mum and so now I get paid for by him and the other scholarship's available."

"Is that why you're Malfoy as well as Tobak? Your stepdad is a Malfoy?"

"Yes; but I call him Lucius because I still remember my dad."

"Crumbs! Not just A Malfoy but THE Malfoy! Hasn't he already got two wives?"

"Yes, Narcissa and Charlotte. They're awfully nice."

"My dad says Lucius Malfoy is greedy but my sister reckons it's just jealousy" said Ming cheerfully. "I say, so long as everyone's happy, who cares? Shall we be friends?"

"I think I'd like that so long as you are aware that I want to work hard and make Lucius proud of me and not muck about" said Gorbrin.

"Not even a little bit?"

"Maybe a little bit when I've settled in" said Gorbrin cautiously.

Ming was a happy go lucky child who took people as he found them; and was quite satisfied with that! Besides, he was prepared to work without mucking about for Madam Malfoy and Gorbrin was a great partner when they did partner work for being as talented as he was himself; as he seemed to be in all classes. To Ming, magic came easily and he had promptly threaded his needle with indigo and bronze thread in transfigurations to prove to himself that he could; and because he was so talented he felt an urge to fill in his time with something; and mischief came most readily to mind, where Gorbrin just read further into text books!

oOoOo

The upper sixth too had their first potion lesson of the term; and Severus wanted to talk to them seriously.

On the table was a cauldron with a silvery sheen with spirals of steam arising from it; and the marauders and friends at least knew what it was.

It was a large class; the core was perhaps the nine blooded ones, Abraxus, Hawke, Kinat, Romulus, Willow, Ellie, Myrtle, Sephara and Dione; in addition muggle born Emma Brown from Gryffindor, Tigonia Black-Visick, Romulus; cousin, in Slytherin, Tony Duthridge a cheerful Hufflepuff and three Ravenclaws, Lindie Drew, Esther Creed and John Pride were taking Potions, making fifteen, the largest Potions class Severus had ever had at NEWTs.

The Ravenclaws were at least fairly innocuous as Ravenclaws went, but plainly felt keenly that they were equalled in number by entrants from Hufflepuff and outnumbered by both Gryffindors and Slytherin. Precision classes like Potioneering and Arithmancy were usually the preserve of Ravenclaw house, though Slytherin tended to do reasonably well at potions too. Snider Ravenclaws were wont to say this was because they wanted to be able to poison people.

Severus looked around.

"I am proud of all of you for having stayed the course so well" he said softly "And now you are on the verge of being true potioneers it is time to look at what that will mean. You are capable of brewing almost any potion that might come your way, up to and including Felix Felicis if you put in the time; from the most innocuous boil solution to the deadliest poison. But I should like to address the question of morality before we go any further; that, just because you can brew a potion, should you? And I want, before we go forward, to discuss what is arguably the most dangerous category of potions it is possible to brew." He looked around "Anyone like to hazard an opinion?"

"Poisons?" said Lindie.

"Negligible; the worst that they can do is kill somebody" Severus dismissed the suggestion.

"Love potions" said Dione, looking at the shimmering silver liquid.

"Quite so; so-called love potions" said Severus. "Miss Drew, Miss Creed, I fail to see what is funny."

"But everyone uses love potions sir!" said Esther Creed.

"Do they? I doubt that. I think you will find only the remarkably silly use love potions" said Severus. Emma blushed furiously. "Miss Parnassus, expand."

Dione blushed violently and gathered her thoughts.

"Because all they really are is lust potions and by giving someone that it can mess with their head and interfere with real relationships and make someone believe a sham until it wears off; and then leave them ashamed for behaving stupidly. I'd say that if anyone used a love potion to get off with someone it should count as rape!"

"As it happens, Miss Parnassus, the law has been brought in line with the more enlightened muggle law in that respect; and it is indeed an act of unlawful seduction – as in the seduction of a minor or someone mentally impaired – since it is not an engagement with the true personality of the recipient of the potion. Miss Parnassus has given us the essentials; that these potions are, or should be, called rather infatuation potions and their use is banned in Hogwarts. It is banned for a very good reason, Mr Malfoy, expand" he pointed at Abraxus.

"Because teenagers are at sixes and sevens with their emotions at the best of times without some love-sick dunderhead mucking even more with their heads" said Abraxus bluntly "We are here to form social relations as well as to gain qualifications, and to learn to grow up; but this ruddy stuff causes false relationships and in an artificial social environment where all of one's age group knows what an ass one has made of oneself that can be bad. And too it may blight a promising friendship that might have developed into real love without some ass thinking that someone who hasn't noticed them hitherto is actually going to move from the induced infatuation of a potion-besotted brain into love for the ass. The ass, of course, is selfish and seeks the attention of the victim without true love on her – it's usually her – part because true love is unselfish and does not seek to force attention from the loved one but tries to do its best for the object of their affections."

Dione felt the throb of approval in her blood from the group; they knew she had attached herself to Krait and given her love to her uncomplainingly. And Severus smiled a quick secret smile at her.

"No love potion – even Amortentia that you have there, sir, can make anyone do what is truly against their nature" said Hawke "And by corollary cannot make anyone act in an extreme way for the safety of their potion-fuelled inamorata. No love potion could have made Abraxus do what he did for Myrtle; only true love, unselfish and self-sacrificing could do that. And yet I do not rule out the possibility of it causing the recipient to behave in a ludicrously dangerous fashion through not recognising danger; running out into muggle traffic for example because the object of their infatuation is on the other side of the street. Great way to murder someone actually; slip them a lust potion and tell them the object of their affections is in the middle of the acromantula patch."

"Thank you Mr Malfoy, that went a little further than I was looking for" said Severus "But it does highlight I suppose another danger inherent in the potion."

"Love is a very dangerous emotion at the best of times" said Romulus "WHY do you Ravenclaw halfwits have to giggle at perfectly serious concepts? Are you perhaps unaware that one of the direct results of an infatuation potion was Voldemort?"

"Oh come off it Romulus!" said Lindie Drew.

"Mr Snape is quite correct" snapped Severus "The poor, half insane little witch who was Tom Marvolo Riddle's mother used a love potion on Tom Riddle senior, muggle, to cause him to marry her and get her with child. When it wore off he abandoned her. She gave birth in a muggle orphanage and died of despair. The resentments that led to the nasty little creep that was Tom Riddle, also known as Voldemort, also known with more accuracy as Fishface, were therefore a direct result of a love potion. You were, Rom, about to expand on serious issues such as mother love before you were so rudely interrupted by puerile giggling?"

"Yes sir. It occurred to me that there was something almost terrible in the grand gesture of Abraxus giving his hand for Myrtle's life; and that true love will sacrifice anything for a loved one, and when that is mother love that can mean cheerfully allowing others to die for the good of a child. I was thinking of the story last year in the Prophet where a stray young dragon was being removed from Wales and people had come to gawp – as they do – and a child fell in front of the dragon. A young wizard leaped to grab the child and pass her up to her mother who grabbed the child and in her haste to get her away casually pushed the kid's rescuer back so he fell and was burned in the dragon's breath. That mother was concerned with only her child. And, sir, if Voldemort had killed Krait I don't think Harry would have had a chance to be the prophesy 'cos you'd have ripped Voldemort into tiny pieces."

"Since he still had horcruces I hope I should, for Krait's memory, have had the self control to resist that urge; but the desire would have been great" said Severus. "But that is true love; we are speaking of the dangers of Love Potions; can you expand?"

"Yes sir" said Romulus "Love Potions, as we have discussed are essentially selfish things in most of their applications; and therefore being brewed usually with selfish intent they engender selfish feelings, whereby the recipient might be careless of the lives of all others but his potion-paramour and thereby endanger his friends as well as himself. Sorry I took so long to get there."

"It is acceptable under the circumstances of how fully you covered the point" said Severus. "Why do you think love potions aren't outlawed in our society?"

"Either because the idiots who made the initial banned substance laws are Ravenclaw dweebs with more giggle than sense, or because it's a nice hard potion to brew for NEWTs?" suggested Kinat.

"Uncalled for rudeness, ten points from Slytherin" said Severus having a job to keep a straight face. "It is a tricky potion teaching a number of points and therefore is useful as a NEWT level potion but there are other applications. Anyone care to guess? No? Very well, I shall expand, myself. Mr Konal I KNOW what you are thinking and I'm sure it's a highly amusing thought to think of but please banish it."

Kinat had been grinning at the idea of an expanding and inflating Severus and worked hard to control his face.

Severus went on,

"As well as being infatuation potions love potions are, as we have used the term lust potions. Brewed in a spirit of anticipated sharing they may be used by a couple to enhance their own lovemaking – I really do NOT know what is wrong with you Ravenclaw girls, has someone cast a giggling charm on you? Anyone would think you were dirty-minded fourth years, you should have grown out of that sort of thing by now. Where was I? Ah yes, the aphrodisiac effects. This may be considered recreationally, or for medical applications. I see puzzled looks. I am told that some women suffer a certain loss of self worth after having a baby; or even during pregnancy, where the physical changes wrought by a gravid condition can cause a belief that one is no longer attractive due to the obsession so many foolish women have with fat. Pregancy is not the same as fat, but some girls are too stupid to accept this. Though I would never ever recommend a potion that is mind affecting DURING pregnancy, if the low sense of self worth continues after birthing to the extent that a physical relationship between a married couple has been badly affected, consensual use of something like Amortentia might rekindle that which has been damaged by hormonal imbalance. Herein it justifies itself; our society has enough unhappily married people, a little judicious use of love potion in consultation too with someone to advise on differences might help to mend relationships broken by silly and foolish differences – perhaps such as those caused by idiots using love potions for their selfish unrequited love" he added snidely. "Miss Drew, Miss Creed, you still have the giggles. There is nothing funny in the subject of marital stability and sexual love. The whole subject is a most serious one. Now what?" as they dissolved helplessly. He sighed. "I think you had better go and get yourselves a glass of water and calm down before attempting to brew Amortentia. And if that doesn't work I have some glumbumble juice" he threatened.

"I'll go and see if can't calm them down, shall I sir?" said Willow.

"I suspect you may manage to depress them with sarcasm but if it stops them giggling I really don't care" said Severus.

oOoOo

"What on earth was all that idiotic giggle about?" demanded Willow.

"Well, people like Romulus and Erich and Grace are all adopted, aren't they?" said Esther "And it's kind of hard thinking of sex and Professor Snape in the same sentence. I don't suppose he knows how to do it, how can he teach about love potions?"

Willow regarded her pityingly.

"You are a pair of poor prunes" she said "Didn't you KNOW that Professor Malfoy is Madam Snape? And you know how many brats she has, she and cousin Severus must be at it like rabbits! Just because they don't need amortentia, doesn't mean he doesn't have to know how to brew it; he doesn't need wolfbane potion either but while he's perfecting the cure, other people do. And even if he was a virgin there's no excuse for a pair of seventeen year old adult witches to act like fourteen year olds, especially a head of house – if he WAS unpractised think how embarrassing that would have been! I'm glad I'm not in your house I bet poor John is so ashamed of you!" she named the other Ravenclaw in the class.

Lindie had the grace to flush.

"I – I didn't know that Madam Malfoy was his wife" she said. "So the new baby is his?"

"Yes, like Lilith, Richard Harry, Severus Neville and Iris" said Willow impatiently "Tarquin is my half brother that they're bringing up and adopted really; and Ismenia is adopted and how that came about is none of your business."

"Ooh is she yours?"

"Thank you, I'll bring up my own when I get there" said Willow. "Give a girl a chance to even have sex first before ascribing babies to her! Ismenia's mother was raped and that's all I'm telling you. You pruriently nosy little creeps, you really aren't any older than fourteen; maybe THAT's what's wrong with Ravenclaw that about the oldest amongst you is Mei Chang. Now I'm going back to brew amortentia; you can stay here and giggle and drop marks for the class or you can try to act like adults and come back to class; I don't care, I don't much like either of you."

The Ravenclaw girls returned to class in offended silence which Severus considered a distinct improvement.

oOoOo

Willow did have distinct plans for her beloved; but it did NOT involve amortentia.

She was not alone; Alice Trumball had plans for Hagrid, but Alice had her plans clear in her head and knew when she intended to implement them.

Willow was finalising her plans for Padfoot; and it involved some simple but profound arithmantic calculations.

oOoOo

Meanwhile, Lucius came calling ; and Gorbrin was called to his head of house's office.

"They found out you scholarship's a fraud" said Zabini

"Or one of your family's been locked up for thieving and they think you're receiving stolen goods" said Crabbe.

Gorbrin ignored them.

"I don't think I've done anything wrong" he said to Jade, who was carrying the message.

"Well cut along, weevil because being late IS something wrong in Professor Snape's book" said Jade kindly enough. "He didn't look pissed if that's any help."

"Thanks" said Gorbrin.

oOoOo

Professor Snape looked grave.

"Ah Gorbrin, have a seat" he said. Gorbrin paled and the Professor said quickly "No, there's nothing wrong you're your family, lad, I'm sorry to scare you."

"Th-thank you sir" said Gorbrin.

"Your stepfather brought some news that may lead to some…unpleasantness, and as your House Head I want to warn you, and be here for you" said Severus. "You know, I believe a man known as Samuel Block who has lived down us calling him Slimiest Blockhead at school?"

"I know him" said Gorbrin grimly "If I may say so, sir, an appropriate nickname."

"He used to threaten smaller children to rat them up if they didn't give him sweeties and cash; even if they hadn't done something but couldn't prove that they hadn't. It sounds as though he hasn't changed; HOW I wish I had seen Lucius turn him into a bouncing ball and kick him downstairs!"

"No, did he? How splendid!" said Gorbrin brightening enthusiastically.

"Neither Lucius nor I suffer fools, never mind gladly" said Severus grimly "Anyway, your mother and siblings are now safe in Malfoy Manor and he CANNOT touch them. But Lucius believes, and I concur, that it is possible that he may send a letter to you, or try to see you personally to make threats to change your evidence, suggesting that he CAN hurt your family. He cannot. And even if Lucius were not richer than God and harder than sin, then as a Hogwarts boy we of the staff would do all we could to protect your family. You are disappointed that he did not come and see you personally?"

Gorbrin nodded.

"If he followed his wishes my lad, he would have done" said Severus gently "It is school policy to avoid parents from interfering in their child's first term at least to give the poor little sprouts with overprotective parents a chance to find their feet and learn to be themselves. Of course in serious cases of homesickness we have to be a bit more flexible sometimes; but it is a general rule that we exclude parents. Sometimes they still manage to break in; Mad Lockhart's mother turned up unexpectedly last year, and only the quick wits of his friends restoring him to look like the portrait of the stuck-up cavalier child on the third corridor saved him from a severe bout of what's-happened-to-mummy's-darlingitis; he'd been playing hurley which is a cross between hockey and intent to cause grievous bodily harm."

"Oh I know hurley; goblins play it a lot."

"Good, see Willow Prince; she's head of muggle games and their derivatives" said Severus. "Anyway, if you get a letter from Block – or ANYONE in the ministry, bring it to me, Hmmm?"

"Yes sir, thank you!" said Gorbrin seriously.

He was looking forward to seeing Block discommoded; but it has to be said he was also looking forward to playing both hurley and Quidditch!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Madam Hooch was as strict as Madam McGonagall and Gorbrin had every intention of being well behaved in her classes; the idea of losing the chance to fly was horrifying!

And it was such a thrill! He had never had such fun, and swooped and ducked around obstacles at Madam Hooch's command.

Professor Snape happened to glance out of the dungeon window.

"Romulus, get out there and watch the Malfoy boy fly" he said "Kinat will watch your potion"

"Cheers sir, I watch his potion while he picks another star for Slytherin House to hammer us at Quidditch again" said Kinat equably.

"Sorry Kinat, I forgot you were a Gryff" said Severus.

"Thanks; that even makes it worse" Kinat could not resist reverting to 'Where Eagles Dare' for an appropriate quote.

Gorbrin was surprised to find the Slytherin head of games watching him as he landed.

"You; trials" said Romulus "I need another chaser; I think you're it."

"Uh… thanks!" said Gorbrin "I thought you didn't get to play for your house until you were third year?"

"Yeah, like we take any notice of that custom – custom not rule – when we have talent?" said Romulus "Mind you the team is starting to look like the Snape and Malfoy show; but the Gryff team was the Harry Potter and the Weasley's show for years, so they can't really complain."

"Who else is on it?" asked Gorbrin.

"Keeper; Hawke Malfoy; Beaters; Kate Rosier and Lionel Dell – he's a second hand Malfoy as you might say – chasers, me, Ed Dinalt, who's a Snape, well a Prince but it's the same thing and you most likely; and seeker Jade Snape who has the distinction of being both Snape and Malfoy in the same genius package. Must be in the name – or the heritage."

"Well I'm not really Malfoy."

"I'm not really Snape; I'm adopted but I've almost forgotten that. My parents didn't want me because I wasn't good enough deatheater material. At least your real father loved you old boy; that makes you luckier than a lot. And Lucius is a damned fine fellow."

"He is, isn't he?" said Gorbrin, shyly "Thank you, Snape, for sharing that; I didn't know you knew about me."

"Dad and Lucius are close" said Romulus "I guess I kind of look on you as a cousin. And I eavesdrop shamelessly you know; it's an awfully bad habit but keeps me better informed."

Gorbrin laughed. Romulus was so comical in the way he admitted to it that it was impossible not to!

oOoOo

Another thrill was when Professor Fraser came visiting from Rowan House bringing both Mardo and George Monk as adequate to receive scholarships. They were Hatted into Hufflepuff, and if Mardo was not a full blood goblin it did mean the the Huffers gave themselves airs towards the Ravenclaws as not being a racist house like some.

Gorbrin did wince however at the name appended to Mardo; Gan Prok meant the son of no man and it was rather derogatory. The Huffers had no idea, at least and were less inclined than the other houses to use surnames rather than given names. Mardo and George would join the MSHG at least and he and Jardak, Stacey Erica, Clem and Jazka would see them in class. You didn't have to be in the same house to be friends. Jardak had his own friends now in Gryffindor; Vasilica and Mischa were an inseparable pair, but Jardak went round with Hadrian, Silvester, Stacey and the Christie boy, Jordan. All of Gorbrin's own friends in Slytherin were female – Erica, Clem and Jazka; but there were only four boys in the year in Slytherin and two of them were Crabbe and Zabini. The fourth boy, Erasmus Bobbin, seemed stuck up and fond of displaying his wealth. As he had a fondness for mentioning how his next sibling, a little girl, was named Narcissa after Madam Lucius Malfoy implying that his family knew the Malfoys well, and yet Lucius had never mentioned him – and more to the point Erica did not seem to know him – that was rather a brown nose thing to do, Gorbrin thought. He still wished that he might have had a chance to get to know Meliandra Bulstrode better; he didn't like her father but she did not seem to be racist, being curious about goblin customs without looking for a chance to make snide comments. She was an odd little girl, a mix of arrogance and the odd abrupt little comment that often came across as blunt verging on rudeness but that showed that she was trying to find out more about other people.

Gorbrin spoke to Jade Snape about her.

"I think she needs help to find out she's a person" he said "You know."

Jade nodded. She knew. Her parents had dragged people out of the likes of Romulus and Hawke, Elisa Mourne, Dione Parnassus and Crocosmia Bullivant before now. And even for that matter Draco and Lucius. With Lucius' adoptive son sticking his oar in as much as Draco, one might even say that things had come full circle.

Crocosmia Bullivant was the perfect person to sick onto this Meliandra and wrest her from Parkinson's clutches. Having been helped herself, Crocosmia would be glad to pass that on.

oOoOo

Gorbrin was happy.

He had no worries in the world; his family were safe, he was getting an education, he was with nice people – apart from in the dormitory, but Lionel Dell had pounced on him and showed him how to de-jinx a bed and how to check for tricks and traps and Gorbrin was sufficiently self contained not to care about unkind comments.

Professor Snape did ask him if he was having any problems.

"None I can't handle, sir" said Gorbrin "Dell taught me _Evanesco, scourgify_ and the drying charm."

Professor Snape snorted.

"You shouldn't have to deal with dirty tricks" he said "I'd move you to another dormitory – there are some decent boys in the second – but the second is very full, a year of mostly boys in Slytherin, there's an extra bed up already. Hmm. That gives me an idea, I wonder if Leo Black-Weasley would mind moving down a dormitory as his is full."

"I can manage sir."

"Yes lad, I don't doubt it; and I know too that you're too proud to talk about it – I bet Lionel Dell volunteered information, he's like that, sees things – and wouldn't report outrages so as not to be taken as a er, sneaking goblin coward. Am I right?"

"Approximately" said Gorbrin wondering how Professor Snape knew so much!

"Well Leo won't have any qualms about reporting nasty tricks to prefects or just bypassing them and jinxing the others into knots" said Severus "Which of course I would punish him for if I caught him. He's a Marauder; I expect you've got the gist of what that means by now."

Gorbrin nodded solemnly; he had heard of this secret society that was passed on down school generations dedicated to fair play, defending the weak and cutting harmless japes. He did not think he would like to BE a marauder, but they were people to look up to! There was even a marauders' shield!

"Are Professors supposed to know about Marauders sir?" he asked.

His Stern House Master roared with laughter.

"Some of us are retired Marauders!" he said. "We DO keep an eye on our youthful spiritual descendants though!"

Gorbrin gazed on Professor Snape with faintly worshipful eyes trying to picture him as twelve years old sneaking around rumoured secret passages at night and hexing Ravenclaws. It was not an easy picture to conjure, but by imagining someone looking like Daniel Prince with the sparkle in Ming Chang's eyes added it became easier.

No one could imagine Dan Prince sneaking round at night; he was such a typical Huffer, and according to Willow, Ed Dinalt and Callum Prince in Gryffindor he was something of a hop out o'kin.

Leo moved in accordingly, informed Gorbrin that he should keep quiet if he found him, Leo, missing in the night and if he was really worried go to Jade Snape or Lynx or one of Dell's gang. Gorbrin nodded obediently; Leo was only a year older than him, but he had an air of confidence and authority that Gorbrin was learning to identify as being characteristic of marauders. Even Dell's followers did not quite have it to the same degree!

Zabini and Crabbe made comments about Blood Traitors and asked Leo if Professor Snape needed someone to babysit the poor ickle goblin boy.

"In your dreams that he should think you so significant" said Leo with just the right amount of scorn "I asked to move; my dorm's crowded and there's not a single hurley or hockey player there. Gorbrin knows a thing or two to do with a stick, don't you old boy?"

"Hockey's new to me but I've played hurley" said Gorbrin.

"You were making a decent showing at the hockey trials" said Leo "We might get a second eleven this year, a junior eleven, to play St Jodoc's….." and the talk was all about hockey and nothing about blood snobs.

Gorbrin was most grateful to Leo; and when the older boy saw his disgust over finding another piece of dirt in his bed, he put a finger to his lips, used wand to identify the bowels from which it had originated and performed a very neat switching spell with an aplomb that would have been worthy of an OWL class student. It was not a spell normally taught below the fourth, as Leo cheerfully told Gorbrin but was so useful he would teach him how to do it.

Hence it was Darryl Zabini who discovered more than he had bargained for when he got into bed.

"WHAT THE? Who's been a dirty little beast? I'm going to Professor Snape over this!" he yelled.

"Do" said Leo "He'll use Scarpin's revelaspell to see whose dirty little bottom made it. And he'll find out. It's yours, Zabini; all yours, come home to daddy. Doesn't that make you proud?"

Zabini stared in speechless fury and horror.

And he did not know cleaning spells and banishing spells.

Gorbrin knew Zabini would try to make him pay for the grin that was plastered all across his face; but he did not care! Leo really was so cool!

oOoOo

Leo was also happy.

A date had been set for the blooding in of the Mini Marauders and for Dione to be brought in more fully; and apart from the solemnity of the whole business, he had heard that the blood group knew how to run a good post ritual party.

They duly gathered in Myrtle's loo – which was going to be known, as Abraxus said, as Myrtle's loo long after everyone had forgotten why it had originally so been named – and stared curiously at the figure of Lucius Malfoy, standing back from proceedings but a definite presence.

"We have business afterwards and Lucius is part of it" said Severus.

Naturally Cosmo and James and Lily were present; they may not have been blood group but they were marauders and that was close enough. After all, as Hawke said, they WOULD have been blood group if they hadn't been so remiss as to die first.

This earned an indignant protest from James until Hawke grinned at him and winked a 'gotcha' sort of wink.

Leo, Mei, Chad, Mad and Polly were to be brought in – Lydia already being part of it – and that made forty five. that was five nines, arithmantically sound.

"I'm not sure with so large a group it actually matters hugely any more" said Severus "So long as it's not totally unlucky, like thirteen thirteens if – when – we get that big. Though I suppose some might have died of old age by then."

"With Marauders coming through every few years? Even Sirius isn't that old" quipped Willow, sitting on him.

He placed a sharp rebuke on such of her backside as he could reach and then regretted it as she wriggled at him.

Most of this byplay passed the younger members by entirely; they were just so excited to belong, and to feel their belonging.

And the cocoa and crumpets to follow did not disappoint.

"And business I'm afraid" said Severus "This is about the house elf thing: we finally have a solution."

Hermione sat forward eagerly.

"That's why you wanted us all was it?" she said.

Severus nodded as various house elves associated with the group beyond those blooded in started apparating in.

"It's complex" he said "And Lucius has been doing research for me into the fey aspects of it; and it's going to require several elements many of which I suspect most of you are not going to enjoy. First, we have to do it on the Solstice because on the shortest day we have the low of fey magic; midwinter saps their essence. Second, we need to set up a magic circle the size of Britain" he paused to allow the gasps to subside "Padfoot has been calculating the best Geomantic nodes for those skilled enough at chanting to be situated; you younger ones are going to have to form the centre we can't risk you making a mistake. Except Seagsron; he'll be a chanter with Jade to back him because he's half fey. He'll be in arithmantic opposition to Draco who carries Fey blood. The bit most of you are going to swear at me over is the fact that we have to chant in Gaelic. And it's a so-and-so to pronounce. Seag is going to coach us all, with his aid I have produced the words written out phonetically, I don't want to confuse you with the spellings. The meanings are also written out, a precise and a free translation, if you get entirely confused switch to the free translation in preference to stopping. We have to chant for the hours of daylight."

"That is one tough ritual" said Harry.

"It was one complex spell" said Severus "The version of it that Voldemort placed in his followers was more subtle than most wizards could cope with but it was brute force by comparison. This is tied into the heritance; Draco was not BORN with a compulsion. House elves are. Even free born ones; they have a compulsion to obey those they consider in authority over them, such as their parents, and to punish themselves if they displease them. Polly and Sevvy and Iris and Rose have never felt that compulsion, since they have had stable, loving upbringings but it is still there since I have deep legilimensed Polly and Sevvy, who both volunteered. I'm guessing about the half elves I admit; I don't want to go deep into the minds of such young children. Each chanter has too to have an elf with them; a free elf is best but a volunteer will do, Kreacher, will you support Sirius?"

"Kreacher will do whatever is necessary for master!" squeaked the old elf rustily.

"And Tolly will for Mistress!" squeaked the elf Willow had freed from Azkaban.

"You think I can get away with freeing him now everything's settled down?" asked Willow.

"The government won't make a fuss" said Lucius from the background.

Tolly's ears went up; and solemnly Willow took off one shoe, stripped a sock and presented it to Tolly. The little creature hugged her ecstatically.

"Tolly will support Miss Willow as a FREE elf!" he said solemnly.

"There's one more thing" said Severus "Lucius dug out that the fey set up conditions that they thought could never occur. There is the necessity of a blood sacrifice."

Draco made a noise of disgust.

"How like the Fey" he said.

"Yes; and they thought it a huge joke, I'm sure" said Severus. "There must be the sacrifice of twelve drops of the heart's own blood as willing sacrifice from a wizard taken by an elf he has freed. Which means Sirri or Beloc will have to take it from me."

Krait, Sirri, Dione, Lydia and Jade cried out; Seagh made a sound of disgust and everyone else gasped.

"Beg pardon old boy but you have that wrong" said Lucius softly "It comes from me; and Dobby takes it."

"That's not something we'd ask someone not of the blood group" said Severus.

"But I have oppressed elves. Doesn't that make the sacrifice stronger?" said Lucius "Dobby, would you do it?"

Dobby looked into Lucius' face; and saw naked fear but implacable determination in his eyes. He ran to Lucius and put his arms around his legs.

"Dobby will do his best!" he squeaked.

"Take care of my wives and children if things go wrong" said Lucius "I'm not supposed to die, as I understand it; it's just supposed to hurt. But mucking with the heart…."

"Can – may I be with dad and help Dobby?" asked Draco.

"You are one of my better chanters" said Severus "I was going to ask Erich to be MY supporter…are you sure, Lucius?"

"Grace and I will take care of Lucius" said Erich "She's his daughter in law; and she and I have always worked well together. We'll help Dobby and stand by with spells to help Lucius bear it. He's taken the cruciatus curse; he's strong."

"I remember" said Lucius softly "When Draco asked Krait to be merciful to me because I wasn't strong like them…. I am stronger now. I have learned much and most of that is about the power of love. This is for my elves who are too afraid to be free; and for their descendants. This is in atonement for how I treated Dobby. Draco, your duty is as a chanter; I will feel your love and know that you are with me in spirit; and your chanting will help me. The better the chant, the easier the sacrifice you know; Abraxus will tell you. It was agonising for him to pull Myrtle out but without the excellent ritual I suspect it would have been harder?"

Severus nodded.

"He could have lost the whole arm" he said. "Dobby?"

"Dobby will do all he can to not hurt Mister Lucius too much" said Dobby earnestly "But spells from wands to help would be good."

"We'll use _Diffindo_ to go in" said Erich "Because it's quicker and easier than a knife; and expose the heart for your silver knife, Dobby. And we'll have blood replenishing potions to hand and a vial of unicorn blood if Krait will oblige and you will take some Felix Felicis first, both you and Lucius."

Dobby's ears went up.

"Oh!" he said "That makes Dobby feel less worried about doing something wrong!"

"Good; settled" said Lucius "Malfoy Manor is nearer the centre than Hogwarts but it's not that close…."

"I'm scouting out Birmingham" said Sirius "Though if we're covering Ireland as well, we might be better in Wales, or on its borders…. I'm thinking Bangor and if anyone sings the muggle song I get to cuff them."

"We'll leave that in your hands then Padfoot" said Severus "And may I say that if we do this right, the circle will remain in place so that every house elf crossing the line into the realm of Britain will henceforth to the end of time will freed from compulsion. It is still a way from freeing all house elves; but it is at least freeing their souls. And I wonder too if it MIGHT free up some of the so-called free elves from compunction to follow the High Sidhe."

"They aye punish theirselves some o' them, whiles" said Seagh. His speech was becoming less thickly Scots but was still heavily accented.

"Then let us hope it works also for them" said Severus.

Lucius laughed.

"It will my friend; for am I not part fey? The Malfoy ever had arrangements with the unseelie court way back; and so the blood will come from a wizard AND a part fey. I KNEW I was the right choice."

"And there was the rest of us thinking it was just Malfoy arrogance" grinned Sirius. "You'll do mate!"

oOoOo

The Mini Marauders celebrated their inclusion in the blood group by setting a deadfall of rubber spiders for Priscilla Parkinson.

They caught Professor Khan instead who had bitten one furiously in half before he realised they were rubber and stopped growing fur.

"We're very sorry, Professor Khan" said Mei "We weren't expecting YOU."

"Horrible children" growled the Rakshasa "You can each write out the eight times table eight times."

This was fair enough; and there was still time to reset the deadfall in time to catch Parkinson, though they did discard the bifurcated spider.

Parkinson's squeals were all they might have hoped for.

"They're rubber" said Meliandra Bulstode, in her wake, picking one up. "No big deal."

Parkinson glared at her.

Ones' henchmen were not supposed to be dismissive of such things!

"It'll be those Malfoy brats" she said "We'll pay them back."

"I'd have said it was more of the style of Ming Chang" said Meliandra.

"If I say it was the Malfoys it was the Malfoys, right?" screeched Parkinson.

"If she says it was the Malfoys it MUST have been the Malfoys" echoed Hyacinth Greengrasse dutifully.

"Yeah" said Leonard Baddock who also ran with Parkinson.

"You know, Parkinson, you're just too stupid to be the protection you promised us" said Meliandra "Stupid, prejudiced and you aren't even from one of the right families. You sounded like a goblin fishwife screeching like that; I think I can do without your brand of friendship. You're vulgar. Bye" and she walked off with Priscilla screeching after her.

"It wasn't the Malfoys" said Mei, coming forward "It was us; because you smell. You smell of bad manners and nasty habits. We dropped spiders on you; rubber ones. Oh wow, it's such a big deal. But it you think you can manage pay back do it to the right people or you'll look stupid."

"er" said Leo.

"What?"

"Stupider" he explained.

Mad and Chad made faces of drooling imbecility at Parkinson who had hysterics. Her henchmen dithered. Baddock for one had had run-ins with Leo Black-Weasley before and knew that he came off worse even when the boy didn't have friends with him.

"You know" said Polly "Tempting as it is to throw cold water on her to cure her of that I think we should just point and giggle and then walk away."

"She comes up with a brilliant idea then takes all the fun out of it" mourned Mei.

"But we're still not entirely in the wrong" said Lydia "Rubber spiders is a jape; wetting someone in October might be looked at askance. Even if they are hysterical asses. 'scuse me" she checked over her shoulder for teachers and let fly with her wand, and Parkinson's hysterical screeches promptly took on the nature of a donkey braying.

"Ya reckon anyone will notice the difference?" asked Mad.

"Not likely but she will" said Lydia.

"After all it suits her down to the ground" said Chad.

"Are we actually bullying her as we outnumber her and her gang so much?" asked Polly.

"Yes; but only after she started plotting revenge on the innocent" said Mei. "And we could bully her an awful lot worse if we all used our wands. Grow up Parkinson and stop picking on the weevils and we'll leave you alone."

Parkinson's bray was unintelligible.

Getting back at the marauders of any age was virtually impossible; because they were not just a gang of itself but each one of them tended also to have a circle of friends whom they led outside of marauding! Mei had extensive friendships ranging through both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff houses and over several age groups, and Leo and Lydia held court together in Gryffindor and Slytherin in their own year. Mad, Chad and Polly were part of Mei's group but they also had influence in the first year, across the houses!

Parkinson plotted quietly.

oOoOo

Gorbrin was unaware that Parkinson had decided to have it in for him and Erica because of various rather specious arguments along the lines that Lydia was their cousin; and Mei's brother was friendly towards Gorbrin and Leo Black-Weasley had moved into Gorbrin's dormitory so the Malfoys were accomplices.

Besides, her cousin Pansy had been trifled with and let down by Draco Malfoy in favour of Grace Snape, a nonentity.

Gorbrin considered Parkinson a nonentity to be ignored and was glad to see that Meliandra seemed to have distanced herself from the older girl. Approaches by Crocosmia had in fact helped Meliandra to make up her mind; Parkinson's silliness over the spider jape was just the last straw! But for Gorbrin there were far more important things in life; like Quidditch!

Romulus had held the house trials and Gorbrin was now one of the house chasers!

They played their first match against Ravenclaw; and an incident early on with Achille Crouch-Villeneuve almost had Kate Rosier off her broom.

"Maim him Rosier!" screamed Lynx from the sidelines; this was not so much a house response however as a personal one since Achille was her cousin and not one her favourite people for Lynx thought the boy and his whole family to be stuck up; so the school as a whole ignored the comment.

Kate did not.

"You barged me on purpose!" she said.

"Did not" said Achille, who played chaser for Ravenclaw.

Madam Hooch came over before it turned to fisticuffs.

"That was careless, Mr Villeneuve, if it happens again you're off; Miss Rosier calm down it was an accident."

"Yes Madam Hooch; if you say so" said Kate. "Quite a coincidence that he also squirted me in herbology with stinging sap."

"It is coincidence!" insisted Achille.

"Watch it Crouch-Villeneuve; if a third incident occurs I'll take THAT as malice whatever any Professor says" muttered Kate.

Gorbrin had been facing the other way; but he liked Lynx and was inclined to take her view that Achille was at best careless of other people. Besides, Achille Crouch-Villeneuve did not appeal to him, being rather self opinionated. He was a good quidditch player; but that was all the compliment Gorbrin was willing to ascribe to him!

The Ravenclaws had some good flyers; Mei, Mad and Chad were formidable with Mei as seeker and the boys as beaters keeping Lionel and Kate busy with some pretty bludger work that left the chasers of both sides fairly free to score as and when they got the quaffle and calling forth some pretty sarcasm from Hawke as keeper with precious little backup that he thought they were supposed to be playing quidditch not muggle games like tennis.

The remark was considered too silly to be taken any notice of by the two Slytherin Beaters who felt that Amber Connell, Tony Queach and John Pride the Ravenclaw chasers were easily stoppable by Hawke on a bad day without a broom and Lionel said so.

"If I was John Pride I'd play Mad and Chad as chasers and move back to let my superior size play as a beater" said Kate Rosier "They're faster than any of their current chasers. Hawke, remind me to talk to Rom about swapping round our positions just for shits and giggles. Has he just scored again? No that was Gorbrin – that kid is GOOD!"

Gorbrin was elated. He and Romulus and Ed were flying rings around the Ravenclaw Keeper, Francesca Longbottom, a girl in Achille's year.

The Ravenclaws were all quite good; Mei, and Mad were brilliant, and Chad was inspired by them. But there wasn't really a team. Even with the backchat at the Slytherin goal end, the two beaters DID close up to aid Hawke if there was a real threat from the Chasers and could still afford to play silly games with Chad and Mad. In Gorbrin's opinion those two ought to have been flying as chasers, and he had heard Ming on the subject too. Ming was not best pleased; he knew he was a better player than any one of four of the Ravenclaw team but the house went by tradition of refusing to accept first years. They had grumbled about Gorbrin playing and had needed to be reminded by Red Card Rolanda – Madam Hooch in the irreverent parlance of the marauders – that it was custom not rule.

Hawke had asked them bluntly if they were racist since he was the first goblin in Hogwarts to take a serious interest in quidditch; and had received scowls and evasive answers.

And he had scored several times and the score stood at Slytherin House two hundred and forty and Ravenclaw house sixty. It was an embarrassing whitewash; especially when the roar went up that indicated that someone had the snitch; and it was Jade.

She also had a sore head, as had Mei; they had collided in the pursuit of it.

Since both were marauders this was not an incident as it might have been with some others; and they laughed ruefully, embraced and kissed and wandered off together.

"My team is run by erumpants" said Mei gloomily.

"You'll get a winning streak when you're head of games in a few years" said Jade, comfortingly.

oOoOo

Romulus held a post mortem on the game; and was scathing about the tennis tournament.

"Well we had to deal with the bludgers" said Kate.

"You could have hit them towards their chasers you know" suggested Romulus.

"Didn't seem hardly fair; like shooting fish in a barrel" said Lionel.

"John Pride has too much" said Hawke "Pride that is; when he was first in the team in the second, like me, Cho Chang was their seeker and they hung the whole game on her. And that was daft too since her opposite numbers were Harry Potter in Gryff and Draco for us Slythers. He was chaser then because it was the position they needed and he fossilised into it. Me I've played chaser and beater and now I'm keeper because I'm flexible enough to take what position is needed – like our Severus – and if Jade wasn't so good I'd be a reasonable seeker even. Kate suggested we swap around a bit, Rom; and I think it's a good idea, just to make sure we understand each other's positions and responsibilities. And if it works we'll even play it for a match or two, largely because the opposition thinks they have us sussed and might get thrown!"

"I like the way you think!" grinned Romulus "We must have a TALENT on Seeker though; mind you, having said that we've got a whole team that's good enough to play seeker by most people's standards. Mei is good though" he added "We need to watch her."

"Who'd you put as an all school dream team Rom?" asked Hawke lazily.

"Crumbs, that's one to ask! Jade as seeker, Mei-Mad-Chad as chasers because of their links, Malfoy twins as beaters and that big baboon from Hufflepuff as keeper I think, off the top of my head; and either Lionel or me as reserve mostly for our flexibility."

Hawke nodded.

"No really talented Gryffs right now" he said "This batch of Weasleys are solid players; but they don't have the touch of the Arthur Weasleys."

"Mind you when you have enough in the family to make a quidditch team I guess that helps" said Romulus. "Played, people; good result, don't get cocky. We'll play about by writing the positions on a piece of paper and drawing them and abiding by what we draw, next practise – should be fun!"

And Gorbrin thought it sounded fun too!


	9. Chapter 9

****_I'm giggling wildly because I am now published on Amazon and have two books out, so this is an extra chapter in celebration [I got links on my profile and blog if anyone's interested]  
><em>

**Chapter 9**

Willow waited for the Hallowe'en celebrations and suggested to Sirius that it would be fun to go hunting in animagus form.

Sirius, all unsuspecting, agreed.

When he made the change into dog form, and watched fondly for Willow to assume her normal black cat he was startled to see her take the larger form of an Afghan Hound.

Willow had been perfecting the form; it suited the way she thought, being an elegant dog – no cat would ever being an inelegant dog like a Basset – with silky hair.

With her long aristocratic nose and silky ears hanging down beside her face, it was startling how much like Willow the dog form she took actually looked.

She had picked her time carefully; picked her way over to Padfoot, gave him a rather cat-like kiss across the muzzle with her face and turned round.

She was in season; and to the enhanced senses of Padfoot the dog, it did things.

He was a reasoning being not an animal; but his instincts were still operating on dog, and he gave a startled

"WUUFF!"

Willow walked back and forth a couple of times, wafting firmly; then bit his nose lightly and took off.

Padfoot went after her; he could scarcely not.

She headed for the Acromantula area and Padfoot was a little concerned.

He need not have been. She bowled spiders out of the way left and right and made for the goblin passage, no need for verbal components in simple spells to unlock the door.

Sirius followed.

He remembered to shut the door behind him.

Willow was lying on the refurbished bed, stark naked.

"What kept you?" she said.

He growled and shimmered into man form.

"I thought you wanted to go hunting?" he asked perplexed. Willow gave a wicked little chuckle.

"I have been" she said.

"Willow…." Said Sirius, uncertainly.

"It's time, Padfoot" said Willow gently. "I want us deep joined in all ways before the elf thing. It'll help the ritual and – well, we've been waiting for me to grow up. I've grown up. I'm over seventeen and I don't know why you're letting me talk and have still got your clothes on. Here, let me help…"

Sirius' clothes apparated off him into a pile, neatly folded and with an ironing charm on the way. Willow was like that.

Sirius gave up.

He had initially agreed to a betrothal of convenience to protect Willow; but the years had brought attraction and love. Willow had always treated their eventual marriage as a fait accompli but he had been strictly careful not to think of it too hard while she was still at school – a situation NOT helped by her insistence on sitting in his lap and wriggling at marauder events – because it was right; and because, he admitted to himself, after all these years so total a commitment was frightening and deep down he was afraid of it.

"Are you sure I'm old enough?" he asked Willow, flippantly but touching on his fears.

Willow came off the bed in one cat-like move and wrapped her arms around him.

"I'll be gentle with you" she said equally flippantly. "Padfoot, you do love me, don't you?"

"Utterly Willow"

"Then it is time to let go of the self-sufficient Sirius who still has bad dreams about Azkaban – did you think I didn't know? – and let me in to kiss it all better. It did so many terrible things to you, you're the only one of us that has to fight to see a boggart as just a boggart; and we can deal with that. Because Voldemort and death never were your greatest fears, my big arrogant Gryffindor buffoon; it's failure you fear most. Death is easy by comparison. So let's go there and do the joining and then you can love me until morning."

He let her lead him to the bed; and she sat down cross legged motioning him to do the same; then she took his hands, looked into his deep blue eyes; then she was throwing her mind into his.

Sirius the faithful hound had found loyalty to James and then Harry sufficient; love for a woman had never entered his sphere; the occasional amorous adventure but never love. And that was something too he almost feared, to give himself totally, to risk hurt after so long….and Willow gently enfolded him in her love, showing him that she would never hurt him, taking his psyche by the hand to look at the long years in Azkaban the destruction wrought to his self worth by dementors that made a fear of failure into such a phobia that it had manifested in arrogance so often; and the deep gratitude he found in himself towards Severus for being his brother, for putting the past aside for Harry; for learning to love him, and that love that lead to his initial care for Willow so Severus need not show favouritism to a cousin who looked so much like him. Willow found how he had realised how fond he had become of her when she nearly died rescuing Romulus from the lake; and how that fierce protective love had grown to such proportions that the depth and breadth of it were frightening in case he ever lost it, as all good things could be lost…. The effect of twelve years of dementors was very profound. That he had the strength to overcome it at all was what was amazing; and Willow let him see her admiration as she dissected the tendrils the dementors had left in his head, like the compulsions of Voldemort; and the thought that these creatures were part of the wild hunt and were considered by Voldemort to be his natural allies was an exploding revelation. _Here is where he learned to make compulsion_ she thought _here is where he put together his spells; it is from fey magic after all!_

And they were exploring that together, discovering Sirius' anger towards Kreature that lay deep down in an anger that the elf acted like one in Azkaban, reminded Sirius of it, reminded him of his own conditioning in there, right down to the way Kreacher worked around the compulsions to rebel. _The poor little bastard is more like me than I realised_ he was thinking. And it was a way forward another component to add in their crusade to free elves.

And then he was exploring her, her happy enough childhood as a muggle until her father wanted a slave for his new wife, her flight to find other relatives, the ministry enquiry that sent her to Hogwarts and her climb back to happiness, her life solid again with her big animagus protector as well as family she could respect, blood kin who loved unreservedly – and that was another point for Sirius to build on. They loved him whether he was a success or a failure because he was successful at being Padfoot. He would not fail to build the magic circle; he was the world's best practical geomancer.

And then they were emerging, bloodied and bruised; and his lips sought hers and they shared their bodies as naturally as they had shared minds, together, sharing forever.

oOoOo

Willow had to be rather busy after having finally brought Sirius up to scratch; because two days later the Hockey Elevens were down in Devon playing St Jodoc's. The first eleven consisted of Willow, the Malfoy Twins, Elisa Mourne, Charlie Trout, Lionel Dell, Seagh, Jade, Mei, Freya and Ross.

The second, junior eleven was captained by Mad, and included Chad, Leo, Lydia, Arjela, (another of Kinat's sisters) Theo Weasley, Crocosmia Bullivant, Gorbrin, Ming Chang, George Monk and Jordan Christie.

The first eleven held the home team to a five-all draw; the second eleven lost by seven goals to five, which Willow reckoned was a pretty good result.

oOoOo

And then the Yule Ball was upon them; and the new Fourth who went of right was Lynx's year.

And there were all the usual problems.

Fabian, being a polite child and knowing that Senagra would go with Romulus and Lynx would go with Hawke, asked Romneya Coulter, the child with a skin condition who found it difficult to make friends.

Unbeknownst to Fabian, Ravenclaw's Millicant Goodchild had decided that she wanted to go to the ball with the good-looking Fabian, who seemed to have all the right friends; and she threatened Romneya that unless she told Fabian she was withdrawing, it would go all round the school that she had a hideous disease.

Naturally the stress brought Romneya's skin out in weeping flakes again and Lynx discovered her weeping in the traditional manner in Myrtle's loo.

Millicent Goodchild did not get to the ball.

She spent the evening sobbing in her turn and fruitlessly applying boil removing lotion to the outbreak of boils that spelled 'liar' all across her forehead.

oOoOo

The last day of term was the shortest day and as the ball broke up the bloodgroup and Lucius gathered in Myrtle's loo. Sirius had put together a base of operations outside Bangor in an old farmhouse and set up a gate there from the Loo Network, which was starting to run out of stalls. It was surrounded with muggle repelling spells and was already aligned quite correctly for arithmantic purposes so needed no adjustment. A horsehair mattress lay in the centre of the stone flags of the big kitchen they were to use as they climbed over the toilet seat into the pantry there, for Lucius, low for Dobby's convenience. There were bottles of pumpkin juice by the score for the chanters to take to their disparate places in muggle athletes' bottles so the elf partner of each chanter might squirt some in at pauses in the chanting.

"What about – you know, toilet requirements?" said Hermione in sudden panic. Severus regarded her with sympathy.

"I'm afraid if dehydration doesn't rob you of the need – as it may well do – you will have to pee in your pants, Hermione. Is it so much to ask of you for the freedom of elves?"

Hermione swallowed hard.

"No Severus, I guess it isn't" she said.

"I was going to take mine off and just wear robes" said Krait "To be less uncomfortable you know."

"Good idea" said Hermione.

"I brought something called a motorman's friend" said Draco "Another excellent muggle invention."

Several of his friends hit him on general principles.

And they were set; and they were off to their proper places, the smaller ones to chant and rest in relays under Severus' direction at the centre of the circle with Sirri his partner; and Beloc with Krait. The number of volunteer elves was staggering; those that worked for Wendy and Casimir, several from Hogwarts and all of Lucius' elves swelled the ranks of the free elves and Kreacher who were associated with the bloodgroup. Dione had asked her family elf Grindly to come; and Polly's parents were there. It meant that Sirius had been able to build a more complex circle; and the Junior marauders found themselves within it, designated as secondary chanters. They would not last the hours of chanting; and no-one expected them to, but Severus told them to chant for an hour and rest for an hour and add detail through it.

Lucius must wait until the sun was at its meridian; and it would be a long wait. He had told his wives that he was taking part in a ritual to free elves and that there was some risk but that was all. He would tell it in full when it was over… if he saw them again. He left a letter with Draco for his wives and another for his children just in case; and spent his time reliving every moment of his recent family life, right down to the moment when he had heard Griselen shout at Gennar that he mustn't do anything naughty with Nathan in case Lucius sent them away; and how he had reassured her that he would never send them away any more than he would send Nathan away.

There was such a lot to lose.

And the weeks leading up to this had been full of apprehension; and times where he had to fight not to cling to the girls and to his children so fiercely that they would guess something was wrong. And that was the level of fear and horror in which a house elf spent his entire life. It was a revelation. And it made Lucius even more determined to go through with it.

And he watched the watery winter sun as it struggled slowly up in the sky; so horribly slowly while Severus and his few youngest helpers chanted on. Then Sirri nodded to him and pointed to the bed; and obediently, blindly, Lucius laid himself down and pulled aside the sleeping robe he wore for convenience to bear his chest for the sacrifice.

And then the searing pain of the spells opening his chest, revealing his heart; and Lucius thought he could almost hear it beating.

It was intolerable; but he must tolerate it; and Grace was holding his hands, soothing his brow, taking some of the pain and Erich was controlling blood flow. The silver knife was in his heart; he felt his heart falter and flutter at the intrusion and Dobby was counting carefully…Lucius counted with him to have that to concentrate on.

"One…two…" all the way to twelve, the necessary number for the twelve cardinal points of the compass, one drop for each point to reinforce each of the primary chanters: Krait, Sirius, Harry, Hermione, Draco, Ginny, Neville , Seagh – for his blood – Abraxus, Hawke, Willow and Romulus. Ron couldn't chant, as Hermione said, to save his live and Severus was unclear, as the pact had been made with humans, what effect having Kinat would have, so those two were on roving patrol checking that all was well with the primary chanters and particularly with the secondary chanters between them, Ellie and David, Remus and Tonks always intended as a secondary layer at the four compass points and Myrtle, Sephara, Dione, Lynx, Fabian, Jade, Lydia and Mei between. Lilith had received a sharp spank for sulking because she reckoned she could have done as well as Mei; which might have been true but as Severus pointed out she was still young enough for the Fey to look on her as legitimate prey and chanting opened one up rather.

Instead she was helping her father and the younger mini marauders and her infant mouth dealt happily with the unfamiliar words

"_A casadh orainn do'n chead uair, d'fhiaf-raigh me di a-n scaioi-l- feadh glas ar bith gra….."_

[cassoo dorenn don cedd warr, jeefri may dee on sceeloo bi gloss air bi graw]

"turning on the first hour I seek for a spell to unlock the spell laid in the heart…."

oOoOo

And the agony ceased for Lucius and it was only pain, pure blessed pain; and then that was dulling and Erich was leaving Grace to put him back together as he left, apparating to each station in turn.

Luicus passed out.

And the chanting continued; and was still going on when Lucius dragged himself back to consciousness; the voice of Severus and assorted weary children, ragged, rough, droning on and on the gaelic curse-breaking chant.

Dobby came and sat beside Lucius and took his hand, patting it anxiously; and Lucius managed a smile. Speaking was forbidden; it interrupted the train of thought. Severus was swaying with weariness; he was the focus of course, and it had been hours. The others would be in similar state, grey with exhaustion from physical and mental fatigue. And unable to feed on each other since they were all involved…. Lucius glanced at the sky.

Two hours to go maximum; it must be two o'clock. Nightfall was not long….

And the chanting continued, Severus forcing the words passed cracked, dry lips despite the frequent sips he was taking from the bottle Sirri wielded, sweat pouring off him from effort. Lucius put an arm around Dobby; somehow it seemed appropriate. When he had been a child Dobby had been his closest companion.

And the sun sank, finger width by finger width; and the chanting continued, scarcely a thread of sound now, but still constant, the children dozing, and waking and joining in and dozing again.

And the sun sank. Lucius thought he wanted to scream almost more than he had done when waiting for his own ordeal; it had been terrible but it had not been long before it was over, the worst of it the imagining that had led up to it. Severus whispered the verse over and over and Lucius wondered how long it would be before those involved would sleep without dreaming that they were still chanting; and he remembered Grace telling him how her Corbin cousin had given her a memory potion of his own devising and she had spent days unable to sleep haunted by every fact she had ever learned.

And the sun sank; and as it touched the horizon and sank below it, Severus finished the last repetition and sank to his knees, spent.

And then elves were bringing in others in a like state, stinking of sweat and urine and exhaustion; and Lucius nodded to Dobby.

"Our turn to do some work I think, Dobby; they need drink and fast, hot and warming, and pillows and blankets. I'll see to cocoa if you see to blankets."

And Dobby beamed at him, thankful for instructions and clicked his fingers to apparate away for the requisite items.

And various couples fell into each other's arms and were asleep as soon as they hit the floor.

Erich, Grace, Ron, Kinat and Senagra went around spooning chocolate into sleeping lips, and casting rehydration spells.

It was over.

oOoOo

When the bloodgroup awoke it was to find that Erich had brought in Lionel Dell and his bloodgroup and he and Hagrid were in charge.

"Savin' the world again an' exhaustin' yerselves… I dunno!" Hagrid scolded. Hagrid had rehydrated them all by dint of treating them – as David murmured to Ellie – like a herd of sick thestrals.

"It worked" said Ellie "And y'know, that's all I care about. Cheers to the second blood group."

"We thought it might come in handy one day" said Lionel "What in the name of all that's wonderful were you up to?"

"Heaving compulsions out of House Elves" said Severus "Lionel my boy I'll tell you all about it next term if you'll only pass me one of those wonderful sandwiches Alice is making and then let me sleep for a week."

His voice was still a croak.

"Soar throat potion anyone?" said Callum, brightly. "We have a few half decent potioneers in our lot too…"

He had plenty of takers.

Severus drove himself to his feet to call for a couple of volunteer elves to deep legilimens; and sighed in satisfaction at what he could no longer find.

Then he passed out.

oOoOo

In truth, Lionel and his group were quite shocked at the level of ritual that could bring so large and powerful a group as the main Blood Group to such a state of helpless exhaustion. It was sobering to consider the level of spell that had to be countered. And magnificent that there was a group capable of doing what was probably impossible to any ordinary group of wizards . But being part of a blood group did not make one invincible; and that was a lesson worth remembering. Lionel's two greatest heroes, Severus Snape and David Fraser were here on the floor as weak as kittens; and whatever had driven them to this state would chew Lionel's bloodgroup up and spit it out. But having the second bloodgroup meant that they could help and be of use.

He was proud to help such a magnificent organisation.

Besides, it was almost worth it just to see Lucius Malfoy in a dressing gown and a voluminous pinny that he had unearthed from somewhere brewing soup and cocoa on the rather quirky Aga.

"Lionel Dell" said Lucius "Descended from my great aunt Odilia I believe?"

"Yes sir" said Lionel.

"Well my lad, you don't disgrace the family at all. Not at all" said Lucius.

He looked utterly drained and yet somehow totally relaxed; and even his incongruous garb did not seem out of place at all.

Lionel grinned.

"A Malfoy – even a second hand one like me, as Jade describes it – keep my nose out of trouble? What do you think?"

"I think you'll do very well, my boy. I must keep a closer eye on you; I suspect you'll go far."

Lionel chuckled.

"Fraser always said I'd go far if I didn't go too far first."

"Hah! Typical Malfoy!" said Lucius cheerfully. "Anyone told Dumbeldore yet?"

There was a long silence.

"Well as the four most recent heads, three head boys and a head girl, are sleeping it off I guess it behoves a former head boy such as myself to do so" said Lucius. "Hmm, let me lose this useful but rather inappropriate garment" and he took off the pinafore.

The boodstains barely showed on a black gown after all.

oOoOo

Dumbledore was pleased to know that assorted members of his teaching staff – four professors to be precise – and various of his pupils were essentially alive and well and sleeping in Bangor; and overjoyed at the result of the ritual.

"Though what I tell waiting parents I'm not sure" he said.

"Tell them they were on a field trip they won as a treat for excellent work and it got held up" said Lucius "It's almost the truth; they wouldn't be there if they weren't exceptional. Excuse me; I want to collect my two and go and change."

Dumbledore watched him smiling; Lucius had been fairly offhand about his own part in the ritual but it proved how far he had come.

And how comforting it was to know that the immense power that was the bloodgroup should be in scrupulous hands; and that some of those hands, like Draco's had learned to be scrupulous.

And love had grown from despite and hatred. Even as he had himself come to love Severus as the son he would never have, and Krait as a daughter-in-law.

Severus ran the blood group well.

Dumbledore went to wait in Myrtle's loo to apprise those children whose parents did NOT know about their bloodgroup activity how they had been spending their time at a chanting demonstration by a world famous expert and had been held up by a geomantic hiccup over a miss-timed Portkey; after advising the parents of the same.

"And quite the sort of thing the ministry WOULD muddle so quite believable" said Severus dryly, shepherding his charges through "Have we lost Mary-Anne Green?"

"No sir, I'm here!" said Mary-Anne "And please sir I haven't been lost for ages!"

"Only because I sent the Tuthills to escort you firmly" said Dell "You had to get dressed in a hurry last time because you were a day out."

Mary-Anne grinned equably.

And they were on their way, Mei Chang explaining earnestly and mendaciously that it wasn't the field trip that had tired her out but sitting up late at the Ball in order to jinx some people she didn't like.

Her parents seemed to find this a perfectly believable explanation.

Mad reverted to being Amadeo and told his mother it was so totally THRILLING but of course she knew how over-sensitive he was and how delicate excitement made him.

Mad's associates had to hide laughs over THAT comment; since Mad was as robust and thoroughly healthy small boy as ever lived; only his looks did tend to pity him!

Alice Trumball stayed to help the Snapes and older Marauders clear up; since her trip home was a short broom ride across the moor. Her father would not worry for a while since she often stayed to chat to Hagrid after the others had left anyway.

Alice had more plans that chatting to Hagrid, who was talking of walking her home, but wanted to recover a little – even though she had not been through as much as the other blood group!

oOoOo

Hagrid and Mischa spent Christmas day with the Trumballs, and also David Fraser and Vasilica; David was taking the younger children up to London for a muggle show and to spend a few days with the Snapes and visit Anastasius and Grace Smith.

Hagrid felt a bit at a loose end when Mischa was gone; he had got used to having the lad around when the other children were mostly gone for the holidays. There were some here, under the care of Sirius Black and Willow Prince, but not many. Christmas was a time for families.

Hagrid went out on his rounds, checking his animal family, including the hippogriff Buckbeak and the gryphon Godrica.

When he returned he did a double take.

Alice Trumball was in his bed.

"Alice my dear, are you all right?" he asked anxiously. Alice was so dear! If anything happened to her…

Alice beamed at him.

"Weel, Ah'm a trifle cowd, Rubeus" she said.

"Would – would you like a hot drink? Did you get wet?" her clothes, he noticed were on the chair.

"Rubeus" said Alice "Are ye aye sae innocent that ye dinnae ken what a girrl is expecting when ye come home tae find her in your bed?"

"Alice… but… I couldn't!"

"Why? Do ye no' like me that way? I – I thocht I saw ye, felt ye, look at me wi' the sort o' feelings I have for you…"

"Alice… yer just a young thing…. And still at school, it's not…. Not proper!"

Alice giggled.

"And there again, did ye no' breed blast ended skrewts and wha's proper in them I dinnae ken!"

Hagrid flushed.

"That was different."

"Aye; ye were no' personally involved in the breeding process" said Alice, who was an earthy girl well used to farm beasts. "And ye're still no' joining me tae warm me up."

Hagrid moved cautiously over towards Alice, which was his undoing because she opened the bedclothes invitingly.

"Yer not wearing anything!" said Hagrid, scandalised and blushing.

"Rubeus, Ah love ye weel" said Alice as crisply as her soft accent permitted "Will ye stop yer havers and tell me if Ah'm mak'ing a shrimpit wee fuul of mesel' or whether ye have feelings for me too?"

Hagrid knelt by the bed.

"I have feelings for you Alice" he said gruffly "But I – this is – what would your father say?"

"I've explained tae ma faither that ye're the one I want" said Alice "And I'm over the age o' consent in the muggle worrld which is where he hastae be concerrned aboot it. He likes ye fine; he said, naebody'l muck wi' ye; and ye'd protect me fine weel."

"I'd never let anyone hurt you Alice! You are… blast it I don't know what to say! I'm not clever with words or sayin' the right thing; yer want Severus Snape fer that!"

Alice giggled again.

"Thanking ye, I dinnae want Severus Snape in ony capacity right noo, Rrubeus, it's just yerself. And if ye dinnae ken wha's fer sayin' then use yer moothy tae dae something else!" she put up her face for a kiss.

Rubeus gave up on an unequal struggle and kissed her, longingly and hard. Alice wrapped arms around him.

"Yer schoolin'" he murmured.

"Och weel, I'm no' sae talented that I'll miss havin' NEWTs" said Alice "Ah wis thinkin' that afther me OWLs Ah'd juist move in wi' ye."

"I'll have to enlarge the cottage" said Hagrid "Mischa and me both sleep in here, it's no place ter bring a woman home to!"

"Weel, it'll be something tae worrk on forebye" said Alice.

She had planned suggesting enlargements to the cottage; it was good that he had thought of it first, he'd be more proud of and pleased with the alterations when he made them. She could lead him with gentle hints to provide a room for girls and a room for boys as well as their own bedroom and then she could start taking care of her Rubeus. She already tidied and cleaned for him when she visited, without interfering with the ambience of his cottage, and as his wife she could help him to cope with the outside world that disapproved of half giants.

Alice knew it might take a little while to get him further than sitting on the floor beside the bed stroking her head and neck; but she would get there.

Rubeus Hagrid was hers.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Malfoy Manor had a riotously happy Christmas.

It wasn't the gifts; though Gorbrin had not realised there was so much wealth in the world, and gasped at his own gift from Lucius, a Firebolt Broom, the latest model and the best broom in the world. He couldn't speak.

"For my quidditch champ" said Lucius.

Gorbrin hurled himself on him and hugged him.

"Aren't you going to open the others?" asked Narcissa.

"There are other gifts?" Gorbrin gasped. He and Erica had carefully spent their pocket money – and the amount that was had made the boy speechless – on gifts for all the other children, clockwork toys of the sort he knew they envied and that he recalled having when their family was relatively well off and middle class; they had bought the twins some of Garjala's swooping cursers to put aside for when they went to school and a selection of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes on a pre-Christmas trip to Diagon Alley. For Charlotte he had enchanted a hovering paint brush jar, for Narcissa a hairbrush that brushed to command, and for his own mother a needlecase of self-threading needles with blade to cut the thread to a specified length. And for Lucius he and Erica had combined to make a papier-mâché snake emerging from a cauldron, resembling the Slytherin house symbol and enchanted on command to sing the cauldron-monster song that Mad and Chad had written and that new ones soon learned!

Gorbrin wondered if Lucius would mind something home made, even showing off their enchanting skills; but Lucius was delighted!

"I think that's one of the best Christmas gifts I've ever had!" he chuckled. "I shall have that on my desk in government house and set it off at unsuspecting visitors!"

Lucius was fully intending enjoying his Christmas to the full; he had let the children know, in bowdlerised version why he picked them up wearing a dressing-gown – and they were happy to accept that a sacrifice of blood was called for to help house elves without realising how dangerous it had been – and given the fuller version to his wives who had scolded him and cried a little and hugged him and scolded more that he had not told them. And it was so good to have them! And his elves were so full of jollity too! Lucius did not think anyone in England was happier than he was.

His new children and wife disagreed; they thought that THEY were the happiest people in England.

Narcissa summed it up with a happy smile and sigh of satisfaction saying,

"Lucius, girls, children, I think I can say without fear of contradiction that this is the happiest any group of Malfoys have ever been without even someone else being miserable to cause their joy."

Lucius laughed.

"Oh except Samuel Block. I hope HE's miserable. And by the way, unofficially – and permit me to point and giggle here as Krait would say – there have been complaints to the ministry that house elves aren't as properly servile any more. Can't you IMAGINE the outrage of pompous persons not getting their grovelling done abjectly enough and who can't get their house elves to punish themselves – not that they can admit to that with the regulation demanding that people forbid self punishment – and not knowing why!"

"I take back the comment" said Narcissa "A Malfoy is always happiest when someone else is discomforted by their actions."

oOoOo

The Malfoys gave balls over Christmas too.

And that was entirely to see who would come and meet the third Madam Malfoy and who was to be struck off their Christmas card list, as Charlotte succinctly put it.

Lucius also took his girls to a party that was full of what he referred to as 'skirters' those who almost had pretensions to being part of society, purely because he knew that Harris Warrington and his Yaxley wife would be there, in order to flaunt Tanjela and let her flaunt him.

And if she was lovely before, dressed by Narcissa's own newly hired dressmaker – one of their marginalised females – to Krait's designs, she shone.

Harris Warrington almost did not recognise her; but he did recognise Lucius as the wizard who had jinxed him and, having realised who he was, paled and kept his distance. And ground his teeth that Lucius Malfoy who already had everything he wanted and more should also have swept such a prize from underneath his nose – and flaunted her as though she was a human!

Tanjela already had the instincts of a lady, being far better class than her surroundings had suggested; and Narcissa had coached her, as she had coached Charlotte, to carry off being essentially one of the first ladies of the wizarding world.

And Narcissa recalled her words about the sweetness of the discomfort of others when she greeted Ginny Potter with profound respect due to the wife of the de facto ruling prince of the wizarding world – as which everybody but Harry himself recognised the killer of Voldemort – after others had discounted Ginny as 'that Weasley girl.'

Narcissa loved upsetting the more pompous of the other important women in her social sphere.

Gorbrin did not care.

He thought his mother looked like a princess; and she just shone with happiness, and that was enough for him. And he loved Lucius for making her happy; and told him so.

Lucius embraced him.

"Love is the most powerful magic in the world, Gorbrin: never forget that, and never let any fool who is uncomfortable with the word tell you that love is weak. Love can work miracles and change the world. We are a lucky, lucky family; we have each other and we even understand the worth of what we have. Don't get me wrong; I enjoy being rich and powerful. But I'd give that up before I gave up my family. But I'm a Malfoy; and I'm greedy to have it all!"

Gorbrin hugged him back. He was not uncomfortable with a word like love as some boys his age were; his sisters were many, and quite free with the word. And his mother had always talked of their father and love in the same sentences. He did not quite understand what Lucius meant in full; but it did not matter.

"Can I call you Stepdad?" he asked in a rush.

Lucius hugged him again.

"I'd be proud, son" he said.

Gorbrin was almost sorry to be going back to school; it was wonderful being part of a large, loving family – where one did NOT have to count both sides of a knut twice. Wealth did not matter, but like Lucius said it was NICE to be rich. Or at least, rich enough not to have to worry!

But there was so much to learn, and friends at school; and he did want to get back to learning as much as he wanted to stay and get to know Stepdad even better.

There would be plenty of holidays!

And, if he guessed right, a little half brother or sister who would be also BORN Malfoy before next Christmas!

oOoOo

Lionel Dell greeted the gaggle of children that were meeting the train; it was a short list this year for first years; it appeared that half of the first went for the last few days to Malfoy Manor and Lucius had pledged to see them to Hogwarts in his new Helicopter – suitably enchanted – because he wanted to show it off.

The ministry had really taken to the idea of using muggle flying machines for mass transport, and it had not taken Lucius much trouble to make a small executive helicopter suitably luxurious on the inside with enough wizarding space to hold his extensive family and more. He had modelled the décor on the lounge class of some muggle ocean liner of the time of the cruise holiday as the ultimate in luxury; but that was Lucius Malfoy for you. It was also Lucius Malfoy that he had managed to get a pilot from amongst the muggleborn's relatives who was an attractive redhead called Michelle. Lionel had heard that Ming Chang had been among those invited and wondered if he should introduce Lucius to another muggle invention, duct-tape.

His cousin Grigs Havelock had suggested it as a means of securing villainous persons since it would be impervious to any untying or unlocking spells as it was held to itself by a stickiness only slightly less profound than a permanent gluing charm, so long as one paid out for a better quality brand.

Lionel had already used it to secure Ming Chang to the wall as a prefect punishment and had been impressed by its staying power.

Ming was still there when he came to release him despite apparent efforts to the contrary since Lionel had challenged him to get out of that.

The idea of Ming Chang loose in a helicopter made Lionel profoundly glad that he had nothing to do with it!

One of Ming's classmates was a girl called Pearl Brocklehurst, a well-behaved little girl but with a spirit that did not take any nonsense from the bullies around. She had joined the MSHG and Lionel was half wondering to see if she might be suitable for their group. As it was partly because they did not have a Ravenclaw yet, which was a bad reason to be a sole one for picking someone, he had not said anything yet even within his own group. Actually Ming might be an asset for that matter and the Malfoy kids. They should not expand for the sake of expanding but there was no reason not to consider the thought, to make sure that there were always members of the group in the school.

And Alice would be leaving school soon if not the premises; Lionel had picked up Hagrid more easily than Alice but he felt her feelings of love and arousal too, and was glad for both of his bloodkin. Hagrid needed someone to look after him and Alice was, as one might describe her in her own idiom a sensible wee body.

But to expanding…. Pearl actually looked more like a Malfoy than Erica did; Erica had glorious curling red hair, though she had the huge violet eyes so many Malfoys had; shave the hair and she and Lydia might be twins. Pearl was pale with the pale, almost white-blonde hair that so many associated with Malfoys. Who knows, perhaps she carried enough of the blood. She was of the upper classes, her parents married by arrangement and from what Pearl had said about not expecting a happy Christmas not happily so.

That was her coming now, no parents accompanying her poor kid, just a goblin servant, a coachman by the look of it.

The two men who leaped out on either side of Pearl Brocklehurst with loud BANGS and apparated away before Lionel could move or act were very skilled.

The goblin coachman screamed in real terror.

Lionel sent a blood pulse to whoever was on the train.

Various of his people tumbled out.

He picked Tim and Tamsin.

"Tim, Tamsin, go straight away to the ministry and demand an auror; get Harry or Draco if you can or ask to be taken to Mr Moody. Tell them that Pearl Brocklehurst has been kidnapped by apparation right in front of the barrier. If they don't take you to Hogwarts, go to Rowan House and ask Fraser to let you through. No, belay that, go to Fraser anyway and get HIM to raise an auror. Parsons' Green tube station, district line."

Grigs and the Tuthills had been teaching Lionel to use muggle transport systems and he was very pleased with his progress; he could use telephones now too without shouting and had bought himself a mobile phone – or let Grigs advise him on which one to buy, rather – as David had, to keep track of stray children. Lionel considered himself very able now in the muggle world able to discuss surfing the web even if he was still a little gauche with actually doing it!

Tim and Tamsin left at a run. Tamsin was saying,

"Victoria line from King's Cross St Pancras change at Victoria for the district line."

Tim hadn't a clue but he would do quite happily as Tamsin told him.

Tamsin, without much muggle money, just transfigured the sickles she had into pound coins. It made life easier.

"It's all in hand" said Dell to the frightened coachman "It wasn't your fault; you couldn't have stopped it any more than I could. Do you need me to write you a deposition on that? Or will you rather an Auror told you employers?"

"If it's all the same to you, young sir, I'd rather it came from an auror. What am I to do? Poor little Miss Pearl! She'll be terrified!"

"Pearl's a cool kiddie" said Lionel "I have every respect for her savoir faire – her ability to cope" he translated quickly. "And soon Professor Dumbledore will know as well as an auror. You'd better stay here; and so had I for that matter" he added. "Callum, tell the train to go without me; I'll come through by Rowan."

"Do you have any cash?"

"No but I have sickles; if Tamsin can make pound coins, so can I."

"Hers was covered by the apparation; transfiguration's quiet enough it probably trickled by in the back blast. But you're under age too" said Callum, digging in his pocket "You can owe me, I didn't convert this" and he handed him a five pound note.

"Thanks" said Lionel "I appreciate."

At that moment Percy Weasley turned up.

"Ah, yes, uh, Mr Dell isn't it" he said "There was magic used here a few minutes ago…."

"Too right there was" said Lionel grimly "Two adult wizards kidnapped a child by apparition, that's what it was, Mr Weasley and I've sent a couple of kids to get an auror via David Fraser. He'll take them seriously and the quaestorium will take him seriously."

"Nothing else?"

"There were a few pops they left so quick I wouldn't be surprised if there was almost a splinching there" said Lionel smoothly.

Percy nodded.

"That'll be it" he said sagely.

If young Mr Dell had popped off a jinx or two illegally to try to stop the kidnapping Percy had learned enough wisdom to accept the story as told even though he knew a transfiguration when he saw one on the illegal magic chart.

Plenty of jinxes counted as transfigurations; he wondered which one Lionel had used but decided not to ask.

oOoOo

Alastor Moody himself turned up shortly thereafter with a remarkably quiet CLIC. Alastor had two step children and a son seven months old and another child on the way; and he was thinking of the distress to the parents.

Lionel repeated the story. Alastor questioned the coachman and Lionel recognised the signs of legilimensy checking he was not involved. Moody appeared satisfied.

"And in broad daylight!" he muttered. "Lionel my boy you've missed the train."

"I thought I'd go via Rowan" said Lionel "To give an update to Professor Dumbledore."

"Hmm, not a bad idea" said Alastor "I need to get to the Brocklehursts in case they've already received a ransom demand. Can you make your way across London?"

"Kings'Cross, St Pancras, Victoria line, change at Victoria to district line, Parsons' Green" said Lionel who had a near eidetic memory. Alastor Moody nodded.

"Cash?"

"A friend loaned me enough" he said. Moody nodded again.

"The ministry will reimburse you – or your friend – and the other two. Just don't expect to see it before it gets devalued" he said. Lionel grinned. He liked Mr Moody's style of cynicism.

oOoOo

Alastor was puzzled.

The Brocklehursts had not yet received any demands. They did not have any enemies. They may not have any real friends either but that was on account of being really of no account. They had some connections to wealthy families and were well enough off. Surely monetary gain could be the only motive?

There was a CRAC and Lucius Malfoy arrived in Moody's office with two clothed house elves.

"This place is supposed to be apparition proof!" growled Moody.

"That's why I cadged a lift – and thank you, both of you" Lucius indicated the elves, and Moody recognised Sirri and Beloc. Beloc swept him a bow – only faintly mocking – and Sirri curtseyed as to a social equal. They snapped their fingers and disappeared.

Lucius sat down without invitation and Moody scowled at him.

"You were about to explain why you have gatecrashed my office when I'm rather busy with a kidnapped child" he said coldly. Lucius had been a deatheater too long for him to feel any warmth to the man.

Lucius stiffened.

"You have a kidnapped child? Then I'm on the same business, Alastor. Because I just got a ransom demand – of sorts."

Alastor narrowed his eyes.

"It wasn't your child kidnapped."

"I know that; she was with me at the time the owl arrived with the ransom demand. We were about to leave for school. I came to you straight away; if they're late, they're late. Some poor kid has been taken by an idiot who thinks they're snatching Erica" and he handed over the note. It said,

"Mr Malfoy, we has yor dorter and if you doesn't hassle people no more we'll let her go free but you got to tell them that you was persewin a hate campane. Otherwise she will regret it"

"Ignorant hand as well as individualistic spelling" said Alastor.

"Could it be a double bluff Alastor? I'm pursuing a killing of a peacefully protesting goblin using Avada Kedavra and the ministry man who's guilty is a desperate man. But he's not ill educated."

Alastor pushed over the pictures he had put together from pictures in the minds of both Lionel and the Goblin coachman.

"These two did it" he said.

Lucius blinked.

"I've seen one of those characters before" he said "In Obscura Alley; I think he worked for the Grubbe brothers; I'd hazard a guess these are both professional kidnappers, and may work for Goblin coursers too. For hire to the highest bidder. Is that any help?"

"Yes Lucius it is" said Alastor with grim satisfaction "Now I can start a search a bit better. We have blood trail experts after the combination of the child's parents blood, concentrating on the mother. They didn't seem to have much of a marriage; and one never knows."

"And I thought I was a cynic" murmured Lucius "We can only hope they don't just kill this kid out of hand when they realise they have the wrong one."

"Hear hear" growled Moody.

"I didn't know there was another child with hair so red as Erica's to be mistaken" said Lucius. Moody stiffened.

"Kid's all pale and silver-blonde. Like all Malfoys. Your kid's red?"

"Redder than a Weasley. Looks like Lily Evans. Dead spit of all of us facially, like Odilia before she got I-want lines, like Krait, Jade and Lydia. But red."

"Hmm, then they didn't know particulars; only that you had a daughter there" said Moody.

"I was expecting threats to be sent to my son Gorbrin to tell him not to testify; his sisters had let out that he was at Hogwarts. Now I wonder… if Block went to check the school lists and found Gorbrin under Malfoy-Tobak and saw also Erica Malfoy would he think it better to go straight to threatening the one pushing the action as there are other testimonies than Gorbrin's?"

"I'm confused" growled Moody "Who's this son of yours and why does he have a goblin name?"

"Step-son then if you will" said Lucius impatiently "While I was poking into this story I met his mother, Charlotte and Narcissa approved, end of. If you occasionally went into society, Alastor, you'd know the latest gossip and wouldn't be in the dark about who's sleeping with whom. For an auror it's most reprehensible. I bet Abigail knows."

Moody sniffed.

"I don't find society particularly edifying"

"Well old boy, don't expect to have much of a chance of catching muggle coursers or goblin coursers. I don't suppose you found deatheaters edifying either but you have to hunt your prey where the spoor takes you, and well-entrenched racist ideals take you into society. Sorry, not supposed to tell you how to do your job. I suppose you have Draco and Harry tracking the child's blood-trace?"

Moody glared at him.

It did not help that Lucius was right, damn him!

"So this fellow you've now named – Block? Samuel Block? Nasty craven sneaking little Slytherin? - he's the one you're after?"

"I see you've met him. Yes, I heard a story, asked a question or two, heard another story, had its shocking conclusion verified and so on."

"Of course you've never used Avada Kedavra yourself."

"You know something of what he used to do; Abigail had the effects in a mild form. I did wrong; but I had – and took – my chance to atone. I've never been a ruddy hypocrite though, Alastor. This creep is. And he used to find petty ways to torture the widow and children of the man he killed, little cruelties like having them evicted, investigations into tax payments and so-on. I've never been petty either. If he'd come to me when he found out what was going on and confessed to panicking, do you think I'd feel so vindictive towards him? A man's entitled to panic, though from every deposition I have there was no reason save in the numbers of the goblins. Is this a threat gesture?" Lucius held out his hand as for a handshake.

Moody's eyes narrowed.

"No" he said. "Right, I'll have him watched; he's probably the sort to want to gloat. Go away Lucius; thank you for the information, but I have work to do."

Lucius nodded.

"Wonderful how marriage has given you such tact and sense of social amenities old boy" he said with ironic enthusiasm.

Moody threw a ball of scrap paper at him and Lucius exited, chuckling maliciously.

Moody pressed a bell and wondered how Lucius Malfoy managed to make himself quite so obnoxious even when he was on – probably – the same side as one.

oOoOo

With a department elf watching Samuel Block and an approximate location on the girl – Obscura Alley was as close as even Draco and Harry could get – it was time to start infiltrating Aurors.

Dumbledore called using fire talking and Alastor told him bluntly that he was not going to discuss the matter on insecure lines of communication and that he should come in person.

Dumbledore came through the floo network; and Alastor filled him in.

"Are you sure you trust Lucius?" he demanded.

"Actually Alastor, yes" said Dumbledore "He had the potential for much at school; and now, finally I believe he is fulfilling that potential. The old Lucius would not have put his life at risk for the removal of compulsions to house elves."

"Has he told you that he did?"

"Actually, Lucius was quite reticent on the subject; Severus told me the whole story. Lucius has learned a lot of truths and is throwing himself wholeheartedly into making up for his previous deficiencies. He loves his new family; do not doubt that, and the academic pursuit of a villain has become personal. And yet he's STILL leaving it in the hands of the Quaestorium and the Wizgamot. If this child has been taken in mistake for Erica, she's safe because they won't want to irritate Lucius too much. So long as they carry on not realising. If Pearl is too forthcoming I think she might be in grave danger – ONCE they've contacted their principal. I don't think they would kill her out of hand without instructions, these types rarely have that much initiative. But Block I think is capable of just ordering her death, even killing her himself in rage. You MUST have people behind him."

"I do. Thanks to the information from Lucius. I have elves on the job. Sooner you turn out elves with the qualifications to be proper aurors the better Albus."

"Give me a chance; our first free elf only entered this year" said Dumbledore.

"Truly? Well that's good news" grunted Moody. "Now all we can do is wait for developments."

oOoOo

Pearl had pretty soon realised when asking her captors why they had kidnapped her that they thought she was someone else.

Calling her 'Miss Malfoy' had been a bit of a giveaway, and telling her that it was just to make her dad drop a law suit was another. Pearl somehow doubted that her own father had a clue how to go about starting a law suit; so she claimed quite honestly that she had no idea about any law suit and that her father hadn't spoken to her about such. Pearl was a tractable child – up to a point – and was prepared to be patient until someone rescued her. Mr Malfoy would realise quite soon that they had not got his daughter – she wondered which one it was since Erica didn't look like her and the next girl down in Erica's photos was dark – but perhaps he had another girlfriend stashed somewhere. Pearl had a stubborn streak as wide as Piccadilly Circus; and she was not going to let them grind her spirits down, so she offered to teach them a new song, explaining that it sent up one of her teachers who used jaw-crack words.

"Ho, like 'im wot wanted us ter grab you" said one of them.

Since Pearl could see no earthly reason why Professor Snape might want to kidnap her and since any word with more than two syllables might be thought by these two to be jaw-crack she deduced merely that her true kidnapper was a man of education and possibly sarcasm.

The tune of the cauldron monster song was catchy and even if they didn't understand all the words, Pearl had the small victory of watching her captors tapping their toes and soon started joining in with the chorus. If she could make them like her then she'd have a better chance of being treated well. In which choice, had Pearl but known, had they had any true knowledge of Malfoys this would have alerted them to her inadvertent imposture; for almost any Malfoy child would have treated kidnappers with icy hauteur as a matter of principle. And would probably have given them a lecture on their incredibly poor breeding and bad manners to kidnap people. Pearl WAS however a Ravenclaw and perhaps wiser in her choices.

Accordingly she sang all the amusing songs that Mei Chang was coaching the first years in for a reprise of their extremely successful concert and the parodies Chad and Mad were improvising, like 'Cauldron full of hot strong Amortentia'. The kidnappers were amused though a lot of the references passed them by; the concept of Professor Snape being pursued around the dungeon by an amorous basilisk was a lot funnier if you knew the professor.

The knock at the door interrupted the tea and sandwiches Pearl's captors had made for her.

The visitor was a mean looking man, slight and slightly stooped and with a nasty look in his eyes.

"Morning Mr Block" said the fat one.

"I've told you before, no names, fool!" hissed the newcomer.

"Sorry sir. Anyways, here she is, large as life, purty little thing she is, nice nature too."

"You're not trying to sell her to me. I just wanted to check her over" said Block. "Well Erica, I'm sure your father will be sensible and do his best to get you back; just you continue behaving and nothing nasty will have to happen to you. Otherwise I'm afraid you aren't going to enjoy what will happen."

"There ain't no call ter scare the kid, Mister – uh, Sir" protested the thin one.

"There's a small problem though" said Pearl, who had seen the door, improperly closed, ease open a fraction.

"Oh? What's that?" snapped Block.

"You seem to think I'm called Erica; and your henchmen called me Miss Malfoy. And I didn't like to contradict them because they were polite enough. But as you're not, I think you need to know you're being rude to the wrong person" said Pearl, half apologetically "I'm Pearl Brocklehurst and I don't look anything like Erica Malfoy you know."

"WHAT?" Block almost screeched.

"Fact" said a laconic voice behind him as Draco pulled the invisibility cloak of himself and Harry. "Not my sister. Nothing like her. Ravenclaw, the Brocklehursts, always have been. You types are under arrest."

The kidnappers raised their hands resignedly before Harry's wand.

Block went for his own wand.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" he screeched.

Draco laughed and his zig-zag scar flared briefly and the green flash dissipated with a damp 'pop'.

"Didn't you know? We're immune to it" he said, sharing it out amongst his bloodkin just to make the effect.

The thugs would talk soon enough in their criminal community once they got out of Azkaban; and it would do no harm to spread a little superstitious fear.

Block fell in on himself; and Draco casually summoned bindings without even resorting to his wand.

"Show off" said Harry.

"Malfoy" said Draco.

"Please sirs, these two showed me every courtesy" said Pearl.

"Thank you for that, little miss" said the fat one.

"Yeah, ta" said the thin one.

It would probably make quite a difference to the length of their sentence.

Unlike Block they were seasoned criminals who took capture with a philosophical acceptance and did not bother fighting when the odds were against them.

Aurors in any numbers were odds that were against them; especially when they were the aurors who bore the scar.

And it was all over.

Pearl was mightily relieved.

She had an overdue library book to return to Madam Ermin.


	11. Chapter 11

****_Hi Thyge, many thanks for delurking over on Chronicles! My commiserations for your loss too, and thanks - as well as for saying nice things - for your insights, which I hadn't considered but which make sense. People respond as best they may to the situation they find themselves in and adapt. I write as I see people... looks like it works!  
><em>

**Chapter 11**

Pearl thanked Lionel for his quick thinking.

"Oh it's what I'm there for" said Lionel cheerfully. "We were thinking, actually, of asking if you and Ming and Gorbrin and Erica would like to hang with our gang and see if you fit in with us; you were most splendidly brave you know. I heard you sussed out that Draco and Harry were there and kept the creep off balance by revealing he'd made a big mistake!"

"Yes, I didn't think it was a good idea to mention until I was fairly sure there were rescuers there" said Pearl. "I wasn't sure if I was any value alive if I wasn't Erica. Why did they think I was her? She doesn't look a bit like me."

Dell laughed.

"Well you look like most Malfoys, more than she does I reckon. Colouring wise. They were lucky they didn't get Erica though; I'm not sure Lucius would stop and wait for aurors to get there. And HE'd use a house elf to find their blood-bound little mistress and rescue her; you can tell the creep who hired them hasn't got any house elves. 'Cos it works for freed ones that stay with their family too."

"I didn't know that; we don't have any house elves either" said Pearl. "I don't know about joining your gang; but I haven't got any real friends in my house because I didn't want to join Mei's gang. They're a bit too excitable, though I don't mind joining in with fun things like the concert. Ming's in his sister's gang though so you might not get any joy there. Can I think about it?"

"Sure; no pressure" said Lionel.

Gorbrin and Erica when approached were both flattered.

"But no offence, I don't think we're joining sort of people" said Gorbrin with a quick glance at Erica. "Leo asked if we were going to form a core of marauders in our year but we're not really maraudery type people; I'm afraid we're a bit Ravenclawish 'cos we're sort of too interested in our academic pursuits to really want to do japes and things, you know? Without being priggish –I don't THINK we're priggish – we'd rather not. Though thanks most awfully for asking; and we'd not mind doing things like keeping cave and things."

"That's chill" said Dell. "And thanks for the offer of helping peripherally. If we get involved in doing the sort of stuff the main group and your dad were doing, having people to watch our backs and pass flasks of cocoa would be well handy too."

"Oh yes; willingly" said Erica "You know what dad was doing?"

"Yes, we were backup to marauders and co" said Lionel. "Heavy magic rituals! You must be well proud of him taking all that risk."

"He was taking risk? He never told us" said Gorbrin. Lionel smote his head.

"Ah. Sorry. I think I just earned a bad mark from Lucius" he said "Well, nothing bad happened and now House Elves don't have to worry about compulsions."

Lucius had explained what the ritual had been in aid of; and his children were proud of him!

Lionel's blood group discussed matters; and decided to invite Mischa in as Hagrid was his adopted father, which meant Vasilica too, in addition to Pearl and leave Ming to his sister. They could blood them in later as seemed appropriate; but just get them used to working with the gang for now.

oOoOo

Lucius was receiving disconcerting repercussions from the blood sacrifice he made.

The first intimation was a faint 'pop' as he sat at breakfast, and a raggedy fey elf with blue skin appeared, and bowed profoundly and deeply.

"Quinn at your service, mighty wizard, begging fer t' serve the one whose blood makes us free!" squeaked the elf.

"Uh… well if you'd like to work for me I'm delighted I'm sure" said Lucius.

"Feckless bunch these unseelie free elveses is" said Reedy, one of his elves banging down a plate.

"Well if he needs protection from the highfey will you really withhold that Reedy?" said Lucius

Reedy sniffed.

"No I suppose not" she said. "If they is tracking down the blood sacrifice we is going to be knee deep in the little buggers though."

"Surely not!" said Lucius.

Since there was another 'pop' and Sheeli declared HER desire to stay with the one whose blood made them free Lucius began to wonder.

"Free elves should, uh, have their own community" said Lucius "And decide their own manner of self regulation within it as well as abiding by the law of the land… I have a property adjoining the garden which has just become vacant… the tenant has died….so I shall make that over to the use of free elves providing they abide by the law of the realm and do not act in an unseelie manner."

"MUCH better" said Reedy. "Keep the scum under control."

Elves apparently had blood snobbery too.

Lucius was glad he had taken that decision.

Elves and part elves of all hues and sizes were to appear off and on for weeks begging that their hero and rescuer should take care of them. Some were Irish, some were Scots and Draco on visiting recognised some as those who had been part of the hoard against Hogwarts. He recommended a bit of legilimensy in case of spies, though they should be bound by the laws of hospitality.

"Does this mean I'm likely to have to fend off a full blown invasion of the wild hunt from the Gaelic lands wanting them back?" demanded Lucius.

"These can track you; it's a very personal thing that your blood made them free" said Draco "And it is a point of fey law, I believe, that any man is free to leave his chief but if he returns he then faces possible reprisals, especially if he has broken a contract. I'll get the group down at the weekend to put up major wards around you and them. The babes are vulnerable. We may have to make a quidditch or hurley challenge at some point. Ruddy fey! I thought we were shut of them when we played the kingdom near Hogwarts. If I were you, I'd ask Dobby to look them over too and when I've made a ceremonial visit and legilimensed them to pieces we'll compare notes and invite the more trainable ones and the females with infants into your household. Trained into less wild ways they can go back to lead the others. Then you'll have the start of a disciplined group to stand by us against the wild hunt if need be. Sorry this has happened dad; none of us would have guessed it."

Lucius shrugged.

"It's happened; and I can't turn them away. We have some good wards anyway because of the fey blood; I looked up some family records, we've always been considered vulnerable until our seventh birthday. I'll strengthen them. Mind you, bloodgroup magic I'd not turn down. We have pixies down there too and leprechauns and a selection of Scots kinds of the same fairy like beings that I can't pronounce and every kind of half breed imaginable. Best to let them get on with it, I thought and just make sure they don't upset my muggle villagers."

"They'll say the house is haunted and avoid it" shrugged Draco "And those village children who are sensitives with Malfoy blood will go to see them and then you'll know who to send to Rowan House. Eventually the whole village will know and accept what we are and that will be its own protection. Anyway, see you soon; I have some potentially wicked little minds to probe."

Draco discovered that whilst some of the free elves might not be entirely scrupulous, most of them were just glad to escape unscrupulous effective masters. The fey made much of their freedoms, perhaps because their freedom was as much an illusion as the grand vistas glamour created, so the fey elves wore clothes and could theoretically leave when they wanted. But they had still had the compulsions that tied them to those they felt were in authority and the urge to punish themselves for rebellious thoughts and actions.

Several runaways turned up too, house elves who felt themselves to be sufficiently hard done by and betrayed by their master or mistress that they must needs escape; and these truly scandalised Reedy, Seffy and the others who also faintly despised Dobby.

Lucius was more tolerant and suggested that if they did not like the fey elves that they should go to Hogwarts and find employment there.

These elves had been badly treated and Dobby at Hogwarts – when he was not with Harry – would find out what had happened. And moreover those who were merely disloyal and used the removal of the compulsions as an excuse; for Lucius suspected one at least of them in that capacity.

Just because they were oppressed did not necessarily make all elves nice or even in the right.

One of the elves who turned up had been freed as a punishment.

Reldy sobbed that all he had done was to persuade a customer not to buy an item since it was cursed. Quiet questioning uncovered the fact that his former master was Aloysius Burke of Obscura Alley, Dympna's father, already under warning for having hired the cottage in the grounds of his shop to the kidnappers who had snatched Pearl Brocklehurst.

Lucius alerted Draco and offered Reldy employment either as a free elf or to return to slavery and transfer his blood pact to Lucius' family.

Reldy considered deeply and elected to have free employment.

Reedy scolded of course.

Reedy had been scolding for as long as Lucius recalled, though she had retreated into herself in the dreadful Voldemort years.

oOoOo

Back in school. Priscilla Parkinson wanted to play a trick on Willow Prince.

She had reported the rubber spiders to Willow as a prefect and Willow had asked if she had a spider phobia; and on finding she did not, told her to grow up and get a life.

Priscilla used a bit of research to try to summon water from a tap at the water fountain outside; she wanted to shower Willow and give her a shock.

The amount of water she managed to produce was beyond what she had anticipated; and the high powered jet slammed Willow back against a wall with bone-jarring force and knocked all the wind from her.

When Willow had got her breath back she asked fairly equably,

"All right, whose clever idea was that?"

"It was the Chang boy" said Parkinson hurriedly, knowing that Willow was said to dislike Ravenclaws.

"It was not!" said Ming indignantly "I wouldn't know how! Though I AM going to find out" he added "It was awfully funny, Prince."

Willow cuffed him.

He was not a marauder but he was the brother of one and as straight as a die.

Gorbrin came over to Parkinson.

"You LIAR" he said softly "I saw you do it. And if you were straight you'd own up to Willow and take a minor impot; if she catches you out after having lied she won't half give it to you!"

Parkinson sneered.

"Setting yourself up to understand 'straight' when goblins can't even comprehend the concept? Don't make me laugh. I suppose you're going to run sneaking to Prince."

"No; I'm not. But I can guarantee that if someone accuses another she's going to be looking at you pretty askance. And she's coming over so take my advice and apologise now."

Parkinson sneered again so Gorbrin shrugged.

It was up to her.

"Parkinson" said Willow crisply "Why did you accuse Ming Chang?"

"Because it's the sort of thing he does" said Parkinson. "If he says it wasn't him he's lying."

"Never known him to lie" said Willow, conversationally. "Known you to, often, in your years here. And why you're hanging around with the little ones here too is a mystery. I'll have your wand, please."

"Why?"

"Parkinson, you do NOT ask 'why' like that of a prefect" said Willow scornfully. She might be wet and bedraggled but she had dignity.

Parkinson sulkily passed her wand over.

"_Priori incantatem_" said Willow.

The wand displayed a jet of summoned water.

"_Deleterius_" Willow cancelled the effect. "Well, Parkinson, that pretty much sums up YOUR integrity. Chang's last spell by the way was actually a legal on from his last class – doubtless a rare occurrence but in this case he positively glows with virtue. You on the other hand smirch with slime. You're stupid you know; I'd have let you off with half a dozen short lines for the water jet, and a warning that it was a little below a third year; now I'm going to set you the maximum I can for lying to me and, worse, trying to get another into trouble. That is detestable at any age. You will go to Madam Ermin and request the book of poems by Hillaire Belloc and find the one entitled 'How Matilda told lies and was burned to death'. It's a longish poem; and you will spend your spare time in the detention classroom until you have copied it out for me….four times, I think. Once for the jape, once for lying to me and twice for trying to implicate another child. Very well; you may go."

Willow's voice was icy.

Priscilla Parkinson on the other hand burned as hot as fire.

This was all Gorbrin Malfoy's fault! He had drawn attention to her by talking to her, little filthy goblin creep!

oOoOO

When Gorbrin was doing his homework – nine inches for Professor Malfoy on the necessary ingredients to make an external potion become a lotion or cream – he realised that he was writing garbage.

He got out a piece of scrap and tried to write a nursery rhyme.

It was incomprehensible.

"Lend me a pen" he murmured to Erica.

"Mine are playing up" said Erica.

Gorbrin sighed and got out the biros Charlotte had bought.

Erica grinned.

They both wrote brief apologies for the use of muggle pens with excuse that their own pens appeared to have caught the backlash of some spell.

The biros worked just fine.

They were not recognisable as pens to someone of the wizarding world; and it was obvious that their pens had been jinxed.

They conferred later.

"Dobby?" Erica half called, hoping the elf might hear and feel like coming.

"Dobby is here Erica Malfoy, can Dobby help?" the elf appeared with a click.

"Oh please, Dobby if you can it would be nice!" said Erica "Someone cursed our pens to write rubbish and we wondered if you'd keep an eye out for us?"

"Dobby will protect the belongings of Erica Malfoy and Gorbrin Malfoy" said Dobby. "Can you uncurse your pens?"

"We know a few people who can" said Gorbrin; and took Erica in search of Lionel Dell.

Lionel took a dim view of the trouble having tried their pens.

"Jinxing people and setting up traps is one thing" he said "Stopping them from working is something else, it's like pouring ink on someone's work. Shan't take a moment…."

Lionel was studying Arithmancy among other things and was working hard on curse-breaking as part of his responsibility to the train journey. He had the quills fixed in a trice.

He then went to see Professor Snape.

"Off the record Severus?" he asked.

Severus nodded. Lionel went on,

"Two of Krait's first years are going to hand in essays written with muggle pens because someone put a very nasty curse on their quills" he said "I expect they'll square it with her, I don't think she cares what they write with providing it's legible, but to my mind interfering with someone's schoolwork goes beyond normal tricks."

Severus' eyes glittered.

"I agree" he said softly "Those of us labelled as swots, however, tend to be considered fair game to have ink on our work or jinxed pens. The more beef-brained think it's funny to take away the only thing a swot has."

"I don't think it's a Gryff" said Lionel, interpreting the reference to beef brained. "Dobby's watching out, apparently; but I wanted advice."

"I'd try to let the perpetrator know that playing tricks that attack the work of a student is like playing deliberate tricks on the staff and is playing with fire – unless you think that the one you catch is likely to have a fit of conscience if the cruelty of spoiling someone's main reason to be here is pointed out. As you would have. That you have to play by ear; and you're one of the prefects I can trust to be wise about such matters and use your intuition" said Severus. Lionel flushed.

"Thank you sir" he said "And thank you for the advice. Interfering with the staff as one might say, and I must think of a better turn of phrase for it's open to interpretation…. Mr Baddock have you been interfering with Madam McGonagall…." He grinned.

"Appalling brat that you are, I think you're worse than David!" said Severus equably.

Lionel chuckled and took THAT as a compliment as he took himself off!

oOoOo

When Priscilla Parkinson came to check if Gorbrin – and Erica as a secondary target – had any new pens, she was in for a shock.

Dobby used elf magic to throw her backwards and pointed the wand he now proudly carried at her.

"Priscilla Parkinson is a bad girl to interfere with the possessions of Gorbrin Malfoy and Erica Malfoy!" he squeaked angrily "Dobby will NOT let her! Dobby had put protective charms on all their kit that is magics you couldn't ever understand! Dobby is NOT pleased and Dobby will protect his family!"

Dobby was actually rather happy to be protecting people of his family. The ties to the Malfoy family went beyond compulsion and ownership and though he revelled in being free he also revelled in being able to choose to protect where he was needed. That he might also help his adored Harry Potter in his work as an auror AND work with Draco Malfoy in the same capacity was a bonus.

Parkinson retired hurt.

She would have to bide her time to pay Gorbrin back.

What she was paying him back for was still rather garbled but probably if unravelled of casuistry boiled down to 'being a goblin who's richer and better connected than me'.

oOoOo

The New Marauders were in Myrtle's loo desultorily doing homework and moaning about the length and number of essays they had to write, conveniently forgetting that they had only themselves to blame for choosing to do six or in the case of Hawke, seven, NEWTs.

The Junior Marauders were in there too, playing exploding snap and occasionally taunting their elders, leading to Hawke using Lynx to demonstrate the theories behind human transfiguration with reference to incomplete transfigurations and what can go wrong.

Lynx cried pax when she had the head of a ferret, the tail of a rat, several extra chitinous legs and was partially covered in feathers.

Hawke returned her to normal with a grin.

There was a sharp TIC and a house elf turned up.

He was dark skinned and malnourished looking with a dirty cloth of some kind wrapped around his middle, shivering violently. He carried a box.

"I say" said Abraxus "Let's get you warmed up" he cast a warming charm on the elf whose ears went up.

"Little master very very kind" he said "Kumi is very very grateful. Kumi is drawn to place of power at heart of noble Hogwarts school."

"Well for an Indian elf to fetch up in Scotland in January I guess that would be a bit of a shock to the old system" said Hawke. "What can we in our centre of power do for you Kumi?"

"Yes please, Thank you very much" said Kumi "Kumi was sent by Kumi's master…."

A peculiar look came over the elf's face.

"Are you all right?" asked Kinat.

"Yes indeed, very very all right. Kumi was sent by Kumi's master and told to say that he begs you to keep this box safe and secret as Hogwarts is known for its honour. But Kumi knows that Master is hoping bad things will happen to Master's brother and he feels free to say so!"

"That's our elf-freeing charm" said Hawke grinning. "Nice, isn't it? Moment you hit Britain you get free of compulsions."

The elf knelt before the little group and kissed the floor.

"Hey, no need for that lark" said Romulus, who was more used to elves like Sirri and Beloc.

"Who is your master and who is his brother?" asked Lynx.

"Kumi's master is Nathoo Khan; Master's brother is Assim Khan" said the elf.

"Stripes? I say is your Master a Rakshasa too then?" said Kinat, who was fond of Professor Khan even though he was – regretfully – eschewing his class at NEWT level.

"Of course! It is in the family!" said Kumi.

"Jade, you're the youngest; go borrow Stripes for us" said Abraxus.

Jade sighed and rolled her eyes, more to make a point than because she objected; and apparated directly to outside Professor Khan's study.

"What a lazy creature!" laughed Lynx "Can't even use her poor little legs!"

"And I see you walking when you can apparate" said Senagra equably.

Jade rapidly returned hand in hand with Professor Khan.

"Hello Kumi" he said.

Kumi prostrated himself.

"Master sent Kumi!" he squeaked.

"Well then what's in this box?" asked Assim Khan.

"Kumi doesn't know exactly, but Master thought it would be bad for you!" he said. "He wanted it left in the dark though and I might be sent to get it!"

"Hrrrrr. This is as clear as mud" said Assim "Can you open the chest, Kumi?"

The elf nodded.

"There is two things in there Kumi had described to him to put in and Kumi might need to get one of them" he said.

"Then I ask you to open it" said Assim in a soft purr.

Kumi opened the box.

One item was an ornate silver dagger; the other was a crystal flask with a golden liquid in it that brightened as light reached it.

"The life-force tapping spell" said Assim softly. "Whose life force I wonder? Who is sickening who is around my brother?"

The elf's ears had gone up in wonder.

"Would that be the princess?" he asked.

"Hrrrrrrr, well if there is a sick princess in the case" said Assim. "Tell me all you know, Kumi."

"Master wanted to marry Princess Naima" he said "And she refused his courtship; but he told her father, Prince Ajit that he would marry her or Ajit would regret it. And Prince Ajit put him in his dungeon. And he called me and told me to put the two objects that he described in a box and come to Hogwarts and ask any powerful students to hide the box in the dark and keep it safe."

"The life force tapping spell places the force of life into a liquid" Assim explained "And then it must be exposed daily to the light to make sure the person from whom it is taken remains healthy. It is a means that has been used so that life force may be taken by court wizards to great healers to diagnose unexplained illness or poisoning where carrying the patient would be too difficult or risky; it is a safer alternative. By keeping it in the dark, the princess Naima will sicken and would eventually die; she would certainly fall rapidly into a coma after becoming gradually weaker. I suspect that my dear sweet brother would then send word that he could cure her – in return for her hand in marriage."

"Crumbs!" said Fabian "It sounds like something out of Arabian Nights!"

Assim fixed him with a steely glance.

"The traditions of magic of India and the Arabian sub continent have many parallels and similarities or have you managed to forget EVERY essay you wrote me, Mr Ramage?"

Fabian was suitably abashed.

"What's the dagger for?" asked Abraxus "Because I don't know about anyone else but there's an aura about it that feels rather nastily familiar."

Assim pointed his wand at it, muttering Scarpin's Revellaspell.

He stiffened and shuddered.

"Excuse, are you actually certain you felt something familiar?" he said "Would you tell me what you think it is?"

There were exchanged glances and nods.

"We think it's a horcrux sir" said Abraxus.

"And how do you know of such things?" Khan was tense and stripes appeared lightly on his face.

"Because we helped out in the finding and destroying of the six horcruces of Voldemort" said Kinat calmly. "It's what marauders are for."

Assim Khan sat heavily on the stone surround to the chamber of secrets.

"Six? He split his soul seven ways?"

"Actually he split it eight; he made an accidental seventh horcrux" said Romulus "Which was Harry Potter. Who is not just the boy who lived, but the man who died. It's a long story and as you're an honorary marauder we'll actually tell it in full at some point. We have a bit of experience over how to destroy these things; shall we?"

"Hrrrrr….Yes" said Professor Khan regarding the thing with loathing.

_**ssss**__"Open_"_**ssss **_ said Hawke to the chamber of secrets.

One of the things stored down there was a basilisk tooth, nicely mounted in silver, just for the purposes of destroying horcruces and other nastiness; as Kinat explained to Assim Khan.

"It'll fight back" said Abraxus "We never destroyed any personally but we've supported…. It'll probably try to attack someone physically, being in a knife, stand by with protective spells people."

Hawke picked up the horcrux knife, pulling a face as he did so, and walked to the door.

"Twin?" said Abraxus.

Hawke grinned viciously and slammed the knife into the doorpost.

"Now it has to escape before it can attack" he said.

The horcux wriggled feebly; and Abraxus handed the tooth to the Rakshasa.

"Do you want to do it yourself, Stripes?" he said.

Stripes nodded.

"It's a family thing" he said.

The horcux was screaming thinly as he hammered at it with the basilisk tooth; and the blade broke, the hilt falling with a clang to the floor.

Hawke performed the revellaspell on it.

"It was the blade; it's dead now" he said with grim satisfaction.

"I have to go to India to this poor girl" said Stripes "She's going to be unwell from the amount of life force he has taken. In the case of a diagnosis dose, no more than a few drops are extracted.."

"If your brother is there you might need some backup sir" said Kinat "As fellow marauders…."

"And us!" said Lynx.

Professor Khan surveyed them doubtfully.

"Professor Dumbledore might permit the borrowing of boys who are over age, but these small ones…."

"We shan't tell him" said Lynx "Then he can't worry."

"It's the weekend" said Abraxus "Stripes, what you possibly haven't grasped is that Harry Potter was fighting manifestations of Voldemort from his first day at school. We consider kids as old as the New Marauders to be seasoned warriors. We'd already fought Voldemort at their age. They're more powerful than adult wizards and what's more in India the ministry can't get at them for underage magic. Unless your ministry there is as strict?"

Khan shook his head.

"In India all is very much less well organised. Once it was under the control of English wizards, but with the withdrawal from India we went back to traditional ways. I left because when my father died I had to fight my brother to stop him taking control of our father's lands. I managed to set up a banishment zone but I was sick of the fighting and I wanted to get away. I left things in the hands of my very able steward; and my mother threw Nathoo's mother out of the palace for aiding and abetting him. One day I will return to rule my area and seeing how things are done in England will help me make things better for the lot of wizards and muggles alike in my province. There is no ban on magic at any age."

"COOL!" said Lynx.

"We'll go pack overnight bags" said Romulus "Are we going on your carpet sir? It'll take ages, won't it?"

"Abrax'll work out a clever geomantic route" said Hawke. "I vote we take brooms, us big ones, as outriders."

Professor Khan found himself being organised by some very professional and seasoned campaigners; and Kumi was told to draw a map of the palace too, and was too surprised to wonder if he should refuse.

After all they had been kind to him here in England.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Abraxus was a fine geomancer; and he was not a marauder for nothing.

He had 'acquired' a ministry list of world wide gates and led his team to Sussex where he proceeded to confund the gate there so thoroughly that it was convinced there was nothing to record for the ministry of magical travel. Once they emerged in Baghdad his confundments of subsequent gates were relatively perfunctory; nobody cared as much about protocol as British wizards.

As head boy, before they left, Abraxus had felt it his duty to inform the Head of what they were up to.

Accordingly he had casually offered Dumbledore a chocolate frog and while his mouth was full said, equally casually,

"Oh sir, we marauders were just off to India for the weekend to rescue a princess for Professor Khan, that's all right, isn't it? Excellent, thank you!" and had made himself scarce before Professor Dumbledore had his voice back.

The Headmaster had laughed and muttered 'young limbs' to himself; reflecting that at least he knew where, with whom and why Abraxus was taking off; with Harry, inclined to be secretive, that was less often the case!

oOoOo

When they reached the castle they swooped in at a window where a gorgeously clad Indian prince looking like something out of 'Northwest Frontier' or even 'Carry on up the Khyber' leaped to his feet.

"Nathoo Khan!" he cried, going for a wicked looking sword "How did you escape?"

"Wrong" said Professor Khan "ASSIM Khan, his brother. Lynx, Senagra, Jade take the life vial to Princess Naima and tell her to drink it; that should restore her to health in minutes. Prince Ajit" the Rakshasa placed his hands together and bowed "I deeply regret the trouble my brother has caused you. I shall be dealing with him permanently presently; my respects to you. As you and your men are not wizards as my brother and I are I suggest you stay out of the way. Marauders, be aware he will have used the Imperius curse on some of his gaolers; please for the sake of the Prince here and their own families discommode them non fatally."

The marauders followed the striding figure of the Rakshasa Prince who managed to look the part even in the academic robes of an English Schoolmaster.

The Prince's men were always going to try to stop intruders of course; and wands at the ready, young voices employed '_expelliarmus' _ to throw guns and swords from hands; and the power the marauders had at their disposal not infrequently threw the soldiers back at the same time, as Harry had once done to Severus. Binding spells and stupefaction cleared the way nicely. Muggles were really frighteningly easy to deal with.

Of course if any of them had got a shot off with their AKM's it might not have been such a pushover; but the marauders knew exactly what automatic rifles did and how they worked, and when they were confronted with a couple of dozen men in good firing positions behind walls, five young voices rang out _'Accio firing pins'_!

A gun without a firing pin was like a wand without a core.

The dungeon was well guarded; but the blowing in of the door by Assim Khan did make the defenders drop back.

The main cell contained a slightly unkempt version of Professor Khan.

"YOU!" he snarled.

The cell door burst open and Nathoo Khan was assuming the form of a tiger. Assim started to change.

"Hold it sir" said Hawke, whipping out a Luger.

The evil Rakshasa snarled sneering.

"Your young friend does not now I am immune to bullets."

Hawke passed it to Khan.

"Just trust me" he said.

Khan nodded; sighted; and as the huge striped figure of his brother launched itself on him, he pulled the trigger.

The tiger screamed, scrabbled at the air and fell just short of Assim changing inexorably back into human form, blood pouring from his mouth, scrabbling in pain and uncomprehending terror at the hole where his chest had been. And then he realised too that there was no horcrux; that his life was truly ebbing!

And then he died.

The screams of 'Rakshasa' were echoing through the palace.

"How?" asked Assim Khan.

"Silver bullets, drilled out at the end with silver colloid inside. They explode inside the body and spread all that silver far and wide" said Hawke. "Y'think we weren't going to bring appropriate weapons to deal with another Rakshasa? He might have hurt you if you'd duked it out the traditional way; and I've got my NEWT in Comparative Magic to think of."

Assim Khan looked at him for a moment and Hawke winked.

Then the Rakshasa was embracing him warmly.

"To go head to head with my brother – who moreover cheats – was always something that concerned me. It was a reason I have stayed away from my province; he would be less likely to act against my people if he was looking for me, and if I was not there. Now I am free to return. But not, of course, until you have your 'O' grade in NEWT which I expect you to get!"

Fabian pulled his robe.

"Sir, can we get the girls? They sound a little hysterical up there."

Stripes borrowed a big sword from an unconscious guard – the marauders had discouraged them from interfering – and cut off his brother's head.

"Prince Ajit might like to see us side by side" he said.

They made their way up to the throne room.

They did not seem to meet any opposition going back there.

Once in the room, where the three girls were clustered round a smiling girl in clothes straight out of 'Jewel in the Crown', Assim flourished his brother's head and flung it at the Prince's feet.

"My brother, Nathoo Khan, named correctly by your men Rakshasa" he said. "My apologies for the noise and some slight structural damage."

In addition to the prison door Kinat had managed to blow a portion of the parapet off the palace in over excitement.

"I apologise for miscalling you, Assim Khan" said the Prince, placing his fingertips together to bow "Will you accept the hand of my daughter as thanks for ridding my province of an evil wizard?"

"My thanks for your generosity" said Assim, bowing "But I am not yet ready to wed. I am sure however that the flower of your household will wed a good and brave man; and if he is her husband he will also be a most fortunate one."

The princess looked disappointed.

Assim and his brother were as alike as any two Malfoys; and yet where Nathoo looked coarse and cruel, Assim was handsome.

He nodded to the girls and they came and obediently sat cross legged on the magic carpet with Fabian and Assim, and turned to wave to Princess Naima as the older boys mounted brooms and they swept out of the window.

The new marauders could not resist rising to stand on their brooms to wave farewell.

It was too like a film set to treat seriously after all.

oOoOo

Back in the castle they shared with the rest of the Bloodgroup – and Stripes, as a marauder, was a guest – and Hawke got well cuffed for suggesting calling the adventure 'Jewel in India's passage'.

Assim Khan was given a fairly unexpurgated version of the story of the fight against Voldemort.

"And I'm not sure about offering you Blood membership because of the effect of Rakshasa blood" said Severus "Though as an honorary marauder it would normally seem the next step. If I may study you a little more closely – since it is more akin to animagus that lycanthrope – I may have a better idea of whether to include you. If indeed you wished to be included. But it would be inconvenient if we all had to spend eight hours being tigers. Except Lynx who would probably enjoy it."

Lynx grinned.

Assim nodded.

"I have no knowledge of blood magic" he said "I would be delighted to learn more and to understand further my own nature if I may work with you on this, Severus."

Severus was more than willing.

And he also talked Assim into letting Vladimir Malfoy run a gene scan on him to go with his ongoing project of mapping the goblin and elf genomes and studying the changes wrought to genetics by the werewolf virus.

School life of course went on despite the exciting exotic adventures of a few and the Marauders still got thoroughly castigated over a skimped essay for Severus who maintained that he didn't care how many Indian princesses they were doing what with, or whoever else's essays they skimped, his work should be in on time and completed with loving care.

As Kinat had written in response to an essay on the most effective love potions

"Soft music, candle-light, chocolate frogs and a good grope" his verbal excoriations were perhaps justified.

The creative urges of the upper sixth potions class were, Severus declared, going to be the death of him before long; they had too much imagination.

He had set as an exercise the research and subsequent brewing of the most amusing potion that could come up with, expecting the usual juvenile selection of farting potions and hiccuping brews and maybe a laughter potion. They were permitted to work in pairs.

Hawke and Romulus had come up with a potion that acted similarly to the babbling curse combined with veritaserum; to be administered to the women at a society party, Hawke suggested. Abraxus and Kinat produced an effort that induced a belief in the recipient that he or she was a great singer – to be issued to any quidditch team.

Dione and Ellie's offering of a potion to cause rainbow-coloured hair to sprout all over the body was relatively mild by comparison, though Willow's sardonic and lone offering of a slow poison and itching potion that only killed you if you scratched was quite as bad as the marauders' efforts.

The rest had mercifully stuck to the acquisition of zits spelling rude words – Myrtle and Sephara – and the application of bodily functions, though the two Ravenclaw girls had managed to come up with a potion that made the victim burst out in hickeys.

Dione promptly converted that to a curse – she was good at spell design – and held it in reserve.

She was spending time with Ismenia and was not discouraging her from calling her mama.

Hickeys should discourage those who wanted to cast verbal stones.

oOoOo

Potioneering almost caused trouble for the first's unfortunate Albert MacMillan. As a near squib, potions was one of the few subjects he was no worse than anyone else in; and he took it seriously. He also took herbology seriously and went out looking for potion ingredients and managed to stray off the school grounds.

The two early walkers who found him were officious sorts of muggles who decided that there was no school for miles around and that he must be playing truant and must therefore be dragged to the nearest police station.

Fortunately for Albert, this was in Cambernath where Archie Trumball recognised the uniform and promptly arrested the walkers for kidnapping a child from the castle school.

"Whar ye had nae rrricht tae be in ony case" he said.

"Please sir, I might have been out of bounds" said Albert "I was looking for rare plants and I wasn't noticing the signs."

"Weel they had no rricht tae grab ye ony way, they could hae walked ye back tae school" said Archie.

"How were we to know there'd be a school in so God-forsaken a district?" demanded one of the walkers.

"Weel, ye micht hae asked the bairn" said Archie. "Did ye no' ask wha' the boy wis from?"

"They said I was lying" said Albert "That there couldn't be a school up here!"

"Weel then a nicht in the cells willnae do them ony harm tae mak' up fer frightenin a wee bairn like yersel'" said Archie "And if the head wishes tae press charges we'll see. Och aye, we'll see. Verra select school tae be sure."

The which placed the walkers in as deep a blue funk as Archie had intended.

Albert did have something of a consolation.

He could barely stay on a broom, but he was rather good at cricket and Willow Prince thought it quite likely that he would make the junior eleven. Being considered an asset was something new and rather nice for Albert; being good at dowsing was nice, and having a teacher who approved of one was good, but being good at a sport made for some popularity.

Not that Albert was UNpopular; he was a nice little boy and nobody could dislike him except the kind such as Dympna Burke – who sneered at squibs as well as goblins – and Priscilla Parkinson who sneered at everybody.

Dympna was a little subdued this term; her father was being investigated for selling cursed and dark objects since the testimony of the house elf he had freed in a temper.

Reldy turned up from time to time to gloat at Dympna that she could not give him orders any more.

It did not make Dympna any sweeter natured; and in fact, Krait asked Lucius to ask Reldy to stay out of the girl's life. Dympna was a spoilt brat but with her father's imminent arrest her whole world was coming crashing down and Krait had a feeling that if she was around to pick up the pieces the girl could be helped to be a much nicer person.

And she elected to ask Jazka and Stacey who had suffered at the hands of Dympna in Obscura Alley to help her.

"But she's nasty!" objected Jazka.

"She's so stuck up and thinks she's better than everyone else!" said Stacey.

"Listen to me you two" said Krait "Jazzy, you know what it's like to have a dad accused and blacklisted and fired; Stacey, your dad has sailed pretty close to the wind of legality before now. Imagine Jazzy being as rich as Dymna and then having your dad in prison; not just the shame of his disgrace but from having had lots to having nothing – a longer drop than your father's fall from working in Gringotts and I'm sure that was bad enough. Stacey, YOU'll have to use imagination to think what would happen if your father was convicted of something – selling muggle goods inappropriately enchanted say, since I think he has a finger in that pie, though I've a proposition to make to him in that field – and suddenly you've no father to lean on, you're the convict's daughter. Jazzy's dad was horribly disgraced – unfairly as will come out – but he never went to Azkaban. Mr Burke might. So spare a kind thought for her and don't kick her when she's down, for you're nicer little girls than that, and it might teach her how to be nice back if you're sympathetic to her."

"All right" said Jazka "It was awful suddenly having nothing, having to move, being pointed at. I'll support her."

"I'm not sure" said Stacey. "I won't kick her when she's down; but I don't think I can be friendly. I'll try to think about managing to, but I don't think I can."

"Well that's fair enough; and thank you for being honest" said Krait "So long as you don't take own-back I'll be happy."

Krait had also mentioned to Jade that she was sure she did not have to tell Jade to behave well. Jade, partisan for anyone who had been bullied fought with herself.

"I won't be like she's been to Cressy" she said "But unless she can admit she didn't ought to have picked on others that are down, I'm not going any further."

Krait sighed, nodded and left it. It was not that Jade was hard; just so very loyal to those she chose to protect. But at least she was more compassionate then the first marauders had been at her age and older.

oOoOo

Jazka, half afraid at her own temerity, sought Dympna Burke out. Dympna had sought the solitude of a box room.

"I know you don't like goblins, Burke" she said "But I've stood where you're standing now; and it's not nice. I just wanted you to know, there's someone here who understands. Several of us as it happens. But – well, anyway, I understand. I guess you want to be left alone now."

"Jazka" said Dympna "Had your dad done what they accused him of?"

"Been involved in a riot? Peripherally" said Jazka "It started when a wizard murdered a goblin without provocation. Dad didn't get violent, he was too shocked; some did. They broke shop windows and shouted a lot. I don't think anyone was hurt. But being anywhere near it, being part of the protest that was enough."

"What was it over?"

"They were stopped from going into Ollivander's to buy wands. Not by Ollivander; he wasn't there. The announcement had been made that goblins could carry wands but there was this ministry official who stopped them buying wands."

"It sounds rather a storm in a cauldron" said Dympna.

"It would have been if the ministry man hadn't murdered Gorbrin's dad out of hand" said Jazka. "You never knew him, and nor did I but everyone says he was the gentlest of people. It made folks angry. Why do you ask?"

"Well at least you know don't you that your dad hadn't really done anything wrong" said Dympna bitterly.

Jazka gasped.

"You – you do know he has? Oh Dympna, how awful for you!"

She came over.

Dympna Burke gazed at her, fighting tears.

"And if you tell anyone I'll deny it" she said "He's my dad and I have to stand by him!"

"Of course you do" said Jazka. "I shan't tell anyone. Well I'll try not to anyway. I don't usually blurt things out. Is – is that why you put on such airs because you knew there was something to be a bit ashamed of in how you came to be rich? Like Stacey's mum is rather stuck up because she got rich sleeping with Kordach?"

"It's not the same thing at all!" cried Dympna "Go away Jazka I don't want to talk anymore!"

"Okay" said Jazka "If you ever want to talk, I'll listen, right?"

Dympna did not answer; and in the gloom, Jazka thought she still saw the glitter of tears.

Even asked to leave, Dympna had opened more than Jazka had hoped.

She'd either hate Jazka more now for seeing her vulnerable or cling to her as someone who had been kind. Jazka shrugged. That was something only Dympna could decide.

oOoOo

The Daily Prophet carried the story of Mr Burke's arrest for trading in cursed items in Obscura Alley; it hinted that there might be more that he was involved in.

Dympna was pale; there were plenty of spiteful tongues even in her own house.

Possible especially in her own house.

Emil Porteous merely shrugged and said he was stupid to have got caught; it was Albert Jackman in the fifth who took kicking people when they were down to a sick sort of art form. His form of bullying in this case was to needle Dympna, asking what the other things were that her father was involved in, going on and on, suggesting things from muggle baiting to having the dark mark.

"Gosh Jackman" said Jazka with simulated admiration "You don't ever wear down, they could use you in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to enchant swooping cursers that never wear out. You ever thought of being distilled? I heard Professor Snape's running low on bottled malice. There's a cauldron big enough to get you in, in the potions dungeon, I'll light the fire and stir if you like, only I'll need a long handled skimmer to shovel off the lard. Mind you I think there's a deficiency in your imagination levels 'cos you keep repeating the same thing over and over like a parrot. Are you a parrot animagus, Jackman? I don't think you're really pretty enough, but they say jackdaws can learn to talk, yes that's more like it, carrion!"

Jazka was surrounded by her circle of friends and Jackman did not dare jump her.

Jade Snape leaned over.

"Please just try to get any one of those kids alone Jackman, I learned some lovely new curses when I was staying with Uncle Lucius and I'm dying to try them out!"

Jade was not necessarily prepared to back up Dympna Burke; but she would back up those backing up Dympna Burke.

Burke was suspicious.

"What's it to you Snape?"

"I don't like Jackman" said Jade calmly "I dislike him more than I dislike you and I make it my mission in life to stamp on bullies; whoever they're bullying. Don't worry; I still don't like you but what your father may or may not have done doesn't affect that one whit. I'm not sharing a dormitory with him. If I was, I'd defenestrate him. His father cheated my little great grandma. If you were half decent I'd not let THAT affect any relationship with you. You ain't; so I don't talk to you. Clear?"

Dympna nodded.

In a way it was comforting that Jade Snape was not going to make mileage of this, that she knew where she stood.

"What's defenestrate?" said Jazka curiously.

"Fenestra; window. De; through. Ate; having done it, defenestrate, chuck someone out of the window. Latin." Said Jade.

"Look here" said Cressida Blunt, getting up and coming over from the Gryffindor table "I have every right to dislike Burke; but what her dad's done isn't at issue about her at school. At least her dad stayed and paid for her; mine walked out on mum and me. Burke, I don't like you, you've been a pig to me, but I don't mean to let anyone get at you for something you can't help, and if I hear anyone making an issue I'll clout them. Let the poor sap alone, already!"

"Nicely put, Miss Blunt but please return to your own table and stop making the issue even bigger" Dumbledore's voice was quiet and sounded only in the region of the altercation.

"Sorry sir" said Cressida and returned to her place.

Dumbledore sent for Dympna Burke later.

"My poor child" he said "I know this is hard."

"You haven't ever had your dad arrested, how can you know?" said Dympna rudely.

Dumbledore looked at her shrewdly.

"On the contrary" he said "My father died in Azkaban. He refused to reveal why he had beaten up three juvenile muggles; he would not explain the level of bullying that they had done to a relative. He acted in anger; and in retrospect there were ways he could have handled it better. But he did what he did; and my family had to live with the consequences. So I DO know, my poor child."

"I'm sorry sir. I never knew" said Dympna abruptly "Muggles ought to be controlled like other dangerous beasts."

"If only it were that simple" said Dumbledore "Unfortunately for the point of view of some of the wizarding world, intellect and sophistication are not only independent from each other but from magical skill. But I did not call you in here merely to impart sympathy. There is an insistent and – I fear – rather limited auror on your father's case who has had the temerity to demand to interview you over what you knew of your father's activities. Needless to say" he added as Dympna paled "I refused. He has not that right. If you WISH to tell me anything, either in confidence or to be passed on, then I shall listen and respect your wishes. But I will not have you questioned. For this reason I do not wish you to go home for the Easter holiday; I do not trust this auror not to browbeat you at home. He believes that he is doing the right thing; but I fear that he has forgotten that you are just a little girl. I have arranged for you to spend your Easter with a muggle family, the last thing he would suspect."

"MUGGLE?" yelped Dympna.

"Yes, who would ever guess that?" smiled Dumbledore. "You DO wish to be safe from all this don't you?"

"Well… yes sir."

"Then I know you will be a good obedient little girl and do what you are told and be polite and obedient in the household in which I place you" said Dumbledore. "The Nuffields do not even know the wizarding world exists; their son does, he's a friend of David Fraser and teaches in Rowan House. He's a Parselmouth; it's a family we keep an eye on because they are in descent of Salazar Slytherin."

"But – but how could descendants of Salazar Slytherin be muggles?"

"Because sometimes wizards are naughty boys and get babies on muggle girls" said Dumbledore calmly "And the ability may come out; or it may not. Or it may lurk within for generations until two people with enough wizarding power lurking within get married; and POOF! Muggleborn, so called. It's not a spontaneous generation of ability; but a spontaneous revelation of hidden potential."

Dympna blinked.

Without the shock of finding that Slytherin had muggle descendants it is probable that she would never have listened to this explanation; but now she had done so it made a kind of sense.

"So any muggle could be part wizard?"

"Yes indeed. In fact, it is possible to hypothesise that with all the generations that have occurred on a relatively small island like the British Isles, most probably are. And we're not even taking into account those with a touch of fey blood. Any muggle could give rise to a wizarding child with the talent of a Hermione Granger or David Fraser – or Lily Potter. A lot of wizarding blood in that family too; Lily's twin was not talented, nor is her son; but HIS son is. Sons, I should say, he has married another girl and had another son; the story is not important. Lee Nuffield is a late developer, he had not enough talent to come to Hogwarts at eleven; but at the age of seventeen when given his first wand the first spell he performed was a switching spell. Which I do not believe you have yet covered. His cousin IS on the Hogwarts list. We do not fully understand why some people do not develop talent until later; sometimes it seems to be related to being exposed to magic. And there is a whole range of talent too; like Ross Tuthill who could shake a few stars out of a wand but was not good enough to be on the list; Lionel Dell managed to ….develop his talents. Some people are born squibs, though Madam Malfoy believes there are cases written off as squibs where a little patience might teach some rudimentary magic. But I did not intend to give you a lecture on a subject I find too fascinating not to be a little boring about it" his blue eyes twinkled gently; Albus Dumbledore was the master of knowing how far to go to impart information and yet whet the appetite for more. "Will you abide by what I have arranged for you Dympna?"

Dympna nodded.

"I'll try to do what I'm told, but I don't know how muggles live" she said.

"That is why I have told you a few weeks before the end of term" said Dumbledore "So you can find out. Madam Malfoy will have you in the evenings for an hour; we shall call it remedial potions" he said. "She will talk to you about muggle life. Madam Malfoy was raised in a muggle orphanage that was run by a religion whose ritual, although not practised by the magically active, was powerful enough to block the emanations of her magical talent. It was not a pleasant place; but Madam Malfoy gained enough knowledge of the outside world to teach you the things that muggles take for granted. You will be in a similar situation to a muggleborn child adjusting to Hogwarts. I imagine you watched Heather Burns grope for something by the door on dark mornings."

"Yes. I wondered what she was up to."

"She was looking for a way to make it light; electric light, worked by a switch, in the same ways as automatic candles are lit by a built in charm operated by touching a certain place. Muggle electricity is very powerful; its presence can destroy magical effects. Heather should have been on the Hogwarts list from birth but a – a big machine that makes electricity in bulk, and I don't understand it so don't ask me, was near where she lived. Likewise powerful concentrations of magic prevent electricity from flowing properly. Sirius Black is working on a way of tapping the muggle electrical grid for geomantic reasons. Between swearing about it. But Madam Malfoy will tell you more. Now run along back to school; if they ask and insist –as they tend to – you can say that you've been having remedial potions lessons arranged."

Dympna got back into school somehow, back to her own class.

Jade swallowed, decided to use her better nature and touched her hand.

"Bad news?" she asked.

Dympna shook her head.

"Just… information" she said. "The head wanted me to know what was going on. And to arrange some extra classes with me with Madam Malfoy."

Dympna had many faults; but unlike Parkinson, lying was not one of them and she felt uncomfortable lying when Jade was being kinder than might have been expected.

"Oh if you're with mum, you can chat to her in informal classes" said Jade "That's good; you can let fly with all the bad stuff and she won't mind so long as you speak respectfully to her."

Dympna was adjusting to Madam Malfoy being Jade's mother when their conversation was noticed.

"Miss Snape, may I ask what is so fascinating that you prefer your own conversation to my pearls of wisdom?" demanded Professor Snape, in whose class they were; for he was always harder on Jade.

Jade stood, smiled and said,

"Yes sir, of course" and sat down again.

"I beg your pardon, Miss Snape I believe that went by too fast for me."

"You asked if you might ask what was so fascinating etc" said Jade "I said, yes sir, of course you might ask. I did not however say that I intended answering, sir, with due respect, since the conversation was private and not for general consumption."

"Indeed?"

"Professor" said Jade "If man had to have the gubbins to make babies they wouldn't ask girls embarrassing questions."

"Miss Snape, I am married with a selection of daughters as you well know. The matter does not embarrass me."

"No sir. But sometimes it embarrasses other people" said Jade. She was meeting his eyes; encouraging him to use legilimensy to see that she used a less embarrassing lie to cover for Dympna. Severus sent her a blood pulse of warm approval and nodded.

"Very well. May I say if any girls have problems they have only to mention it to me privately – or write it on a note if that is less embarrassing – and I will be slightly less intolerant of them" he added.

Jade appreciated the way he put it.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Dympna was amazed to find people she had never thought about or even faintly despised would include her when offering around sweets. There might be a pause before including her, but include her they did.

She also had the chance to ask Jade what she meant by calling Madam Malfoy 'mum'. Jade looked surprised.

"Oh didn't you know? She's Madam Snape by rights but you can't hardly have two Professors Snape, especially when you can describe both of them as the snippily sarcastic potions professor. So she uses her maiden name. She's not actually my mum, Lydia and I are her cousins but she reared us from when she was about thirteen and us just babes so mum she is from our point of view. And when she married dad, he became dad."

"Is that why he drops on you so hard then? Because he's only your stepfather?"

"Goodness, no! He doesn't want to be accused of favouritism. Nor does mum. And more to the point they don't want us to get picked on for being teachers' pets. You know; any decent parent tries to do what's best for their kids, not what's necessarily nicest. WE don't mind though; 'cos we get them unadulterated by you other brats in the holidays."

Dympna could not conceive of a parent that would not cosset all the time; if her father was one of the professors she would have expected – and got – special treatment and better marks. That Jade accepted taking often quite horrendous detentions and impots for her mischief and expected him to be harsher on her and considered that right and proper amazed her.

Dympna was spoilt; but she was not stupid.

Jade enjoyed a relationship with her parents, from the way she spoke of them, that was closer than Dympna's own relationship with hers, even though they weren't Jade's real parents.

And they did not seem to be given many presents either, not like Dympna expected, measuring the success of Christmas by the number of gifts. She had heard Jade describe her Christmas and it had been about whom they had visited and how they had built a whole army of snowmen with the Malfoy kids and their friends and not a mention of presents. To Dympna, being asked about Christmas meant cataloguing what you had been given.

And if her dad was to go to jail that would mean much less in the future, and maybe even living in relative poverty. Like Jazka. And Dympna quailed. And she must learn not to ask for things because wanting what her mum could not get would hurt her mum. And her mother had no connections to fall back on; she had been the shop assistant once and dad had married her.

But these people who had so little, some of them, shared their sweets with her.

It was not easy to understand.

When the package arrived by owl, Dympna assumed it might too be from a well-wisher; and opened it eagerly. A silver and opal necklace fell out, the prettiest thing, and Dympna reached for it.

And then she was in mid air, her mind being searched, and suddenly all her worst nightmares were happening at once.

oOoOo

Jade saw Dympna touch the necklace, rise into mid air gracefully, arms outstretched, her face completely blank.

There was something terribly wrong and Jade sent a blood call and started chanting.

Severus and Krait were beside her, and the marauders of all ages.

And Dympna was screaming.

Severus pulled the child to the ground where she thrashed, screaming incoherently, not seeming to recognise her surroundings or anyone there.

She lay there as the blood group moved into a general curse-breaking chant.

"It was the locket, when she touched the locket!" said Aurelia Yaxley "No, don't touch it Harmony, it's cursed!"

Professor Dumbledore had come quickly over and pushed the locket back into its wrappings with a salt spoon.

"I'll take charge of that….Professor Snape must examine it presently" he said. "Severus, can you as a group take her to sickbay?"

Severus nodded, not interrupting his chanting and the entire group with Sirri and Beloc on each side of Dympna apparated smoothly.

"Hey!" said Priscilla Parkinson "Snape doesn't have an apparating licence, and nor do half them younger ones!"

"Miss Parkinson I believe that you should consider the lack of wisdom in questioning what you are unable to understand" said Professor Dumbledore.

"Ain't Hogwarts an anti-apparating zone though?" asked Leonard Baddock.

"It is, Mr Baddock; and I as headmaster am able to cancel that momentarily at will for medical emergencies" said Dumbledore. He did not mention that he did not need to for the bloodgroup.

oOoOo

The bloodgroup was meanwhile busy ignoring Madam Pomfrey's frantic questions, that they might continue holding a ring to chant about the screaming girl. Severus was adding skilled counterpoints in the chanting, more specifically targeting the curse as he probed and sought its nature. Madam Pomrefy, trying to push into the circle demanding to be allowed to see the patient was thrown unceremoniously back by someone's irritable will; and was ready to complain when Dumbledore arrived by more conventional methods.

"Poppy, you're a good nurse but sometimes you can be a little silly" said Dumbledore "NEVER interfere with cursebreaking! Do you want to kill the child?"

Poppy Pomfrey stared at him, her rather foolish mouth hanging open. That interfering might pose so great a risk had never occurred to her!

Dympna's spasmodic shudders and screaming began to diminish.

The chanting became more a song, soothing, calming; and presently the girl's eyes stopped staring, seemed to glance around the group and her eyelids fluttered, closing; and her body relaxed into sleep. The singing gently sank in volume, fading away with exquisite control.

Severus was still chanting quietly, his harsh voice a contrast to the softly fading song; and then the chant built up again reaching a crescendo and stopping sharply as he brought his hands together with a loud clap.

"Slightly brute force for you my dear" said Krait in a normal voice.

"There was a slightly brute force element to the curse" said Severus "We can't always expect to deal with the subtleties of Tom Riddle or the fey. Most wizards aren't in their class. This was insidious and nasty but ultimately not subtle. She touched a locket, did someone say?"

"Yes, it came for her through the post" said Dumbledore "I have it here."

"Excellent; we shall examine it in your office I think, Albus, I don't want it uncovered even near her. Junior and mini marauders to stay with her and begin chanting if she shows any signs of restlessness; even I am fallible sometimes and though I think we got out every last vestige… they can be excused morning school, Albus?"

Dumbledore nodded and the younger marauders sat vigil.

"Only decent thing Burke's ever done, get me out of a Charms test" said Leo.

His sister poked him.

oOoOo

Severus examined the locket, putting wand to it lightly and pulling a face.

"As I thought…. We have been lucky, or rather Dympna has. I rather fancy that had not Jade started chanting so quickly we might have lost her. As it is it will take her much time to recover; her heart may be affected."

"What can you tell me about it Severus?" asked Dumbledore.

"It contains a curse that seeks the mind of the victim and then places them in the worst situations they could imagine over and over again until the heart, racing with terror and anguish finally gives up" said Severus. "I believe it has been made with the blood of a boggart, possibly under torture. Whoever made it had either conquered their worst fears and could thus see boggarts or was so coldly arrogant a person that they could not conceive of having any fears…. A truly dangerous villain if so. It is old. It is also not English. It is now about to be destroyed if I may use Gryffindor's sword a moment….or rather, if you give it to Abraxus. He is our Gryffindor head boy after all. The rest of us will chant while he does it to assist the blade."

Abraxus grinned.

"Horcruces and cursed items, destruction of, the speciality of the Malfoy twins AT your service."

Severus cuffed him affectionately.

The sword, gleaming and deadly, made short work of the opal necklace while the rest chanted a curse-breaking chant. It did not scream or wriggle, to Abraxus' surprise; and he queried it.

"It's not alive" said Severus "Merely cursed. It had a rudimentary PROGRAMMED intelligence – like a snitch if you will or one of Garjala's blasted swooping cursers; but not an actual intelligence. It's a nasty cursed item but not on the same scale as a horcrux."

"That kind of brings home even more what a nasty little oik Riddle was" said Hawke.

"He's been learning litotes from you dad" said Romulus.

"Apparently" said Severus. "Let me test this….yes, with physical destruction by a magical sword the curse is effectively broken. Even so…_evanesco!_" he banished the pieces of the broken locket.

"You have to admit I suppose that he does know his business" said the portrait of Phineas Nigellus in his snide voice.

"Oh I've never doubted that, Phineas Nigellus" said Dumbledore.

"He's really VERY good!" cooed Krait, leaning together with Sirri and Dione against Severus. The saucy look she shot at Phineas Nigellus showed that curse-breaking was NOT uppermost in her thoughts and Phineas Nigellus made a noise of disgust.

Which had been the general idea.

Krait loved teasing the former headmaster!

oOoOo

"And now" said Severus in his most dangerous soft voice "We need to find out who can hate a little girl – however much of a brat she may be – that much."

"If you ask me" said Krait "It's not about Dympna. It's about getting at her father. Her agonised death was merely an incidental."

"That's awful!" said Kinat "How could anyone hurt a kid to get at someone?"

"Kinat, she's not real to whoever did this – just a name" said Krait "WHICH does not excuse it. But they're not seeing her as a kid. Same as racists don't see the object of their dislike as people; and wouldn't care about age thereof. And we have to ask if it might be a goblin that Burke has stiffed. I hate that family as much as anyone I guess but I'm still sorry for Dympna for belonging to it; but Albus I want you to legilimens me now because I have motive. And with it being a locket that has some symmetry with the locket Caractacus Burke cheated Merope over."

Dumbledore shrugged.

"If you wish, my dear; but frankly you have had far more opportunity to kill the child in the last few years she has been at school without having to be so melodramatic. Yes, I see your resentment on your poor little grandma's behalf; and I see your wish to turn CARACTACUS Burke inside out. I can testify to your innocence. I suggest we use the wrapping to begin with."

"The sender may have used gloves to protect him or her from the locket on the inside but I suspect we may find traces of him on the outer wrapping" said Severus "Immensely difficult. I want Draco and Harry involved in this."

oOoOo

Draco and Harry got to work, with Severus' help; and Severus reminded them how David had wiped sweat from a wand and folded it as a bird and sent it to find the person who had used the wand to make fire writing. Draco was accounted the best at origami; and with thin leather gloves he folded the wrapper as a bird, then he and Harry took themselves outside on brooms.

"Ready?" said Draco.

"As I'll ever be" said Harry.

"And only two of the best seekers ever known could do this" said Draco, in some satisfaction.

"Better than the one and only Eunice Murray who petitioned for a faster snitch because it was too easy?"

"Heh, she was a loudmouth airhead….reckon she wouldn't have found playing against the fey any too easy" said Draco. "You ARE the Quidsats Haddarach my friend and I'm the reserve. Go."

He released the wrapping paper bird; and it fluttered.

The two seeker aurors followed.

The trail led the pair to a wizard in Birmingham who collapsed under questioning and confessed to sending it.

It transpired that a jealous suitor his new wife had rejected for him had sent her this cursed object; and he had watched her die screaming. He had tracked down the suitor and made him tell where he had bought it – as well as killing him nastily and letting people assume it was deatheater – and bided his time. Causing yet more grief to Aloysius Burke when he was already down seemed to him a good idea.

He did not seem to comprehend let alone feel remorse for the fact that Dympna was only thirteen years old. All he could comprehend was that his beautiful lovely young wife had died and died horribly.

Draco and Harry took him in.

"He's become unhinged" said Harry.

"Charitable as always old boy" said Draco "Note his phrasing – 'taken away from ME', 'I have nothing to look forward to', 'this Burke girl is nothing to ME, why should I care…' all I and Me. Selfish love. I can understand him cutting apart the creep that sent it slowly with diffindo; guess I'd feel the same if it were Grace as you would over Ginny….only the difference is I might actually do it and you wouldn't."

"You wouldn't Draco. You'll fight to kill beside us because we all stand together; but you're not a killer. You'd get him tied up, tell him all about what you planned to do, and then you'd look into his terrified eyes, throw down your wand in disgust and drag him into the office."

"I wonder if you're right? You probably are, old boy, it's a bad habit you have. Because, I suppose, we are better than people like that. And this fellow was weighed in the balance and found wanting; because he IS selfish ultimately, so the lives of others mean little or nothing to him. Reckon he wasn't a deatheater because it would have disturbed his hedonistic lifestyle."

"Harsh."

"Plenty joined the side of Voldemort because they thought he was going to win and wanted to be on the winning side. Weak, selfish people. He's a weak, selfish person. I'm going to suggest that his assets are confiscated as he has no children and handed over to Dympna Burke, poor little sod. Not her fault that her father has his fingers in more and nastier pies than Kordach ever came up with, or his ancestors even" said Draco.

oOoOo

In school the nine-days wonder of the cursing of Dympna Burke, and the various theories attached to it, eclipsed the fact that Willow Prince had developed some odd food cravings.

Severus noticed.

When Willow pounced on a mouse in the potions' dungeon and proceeded to eat it with every evidence of enjoyment – and horrid crunching noises – he asked after class,

"Are you pregnant?"

The blood group had felt a backwash of the deep joining with Sirius; and the two had moreover discussed the relevant details of what they had deduced to add to the elf –curing ritual.

"Yes, I timed it nicely though" said Willow "Should be due back end of July after all the exams are over."

"Well just talk to Krait about it" said Severus "She has enough experience after all to keep you checked over."

"Thanks Mummy" said Willow ironically.

Severus cuffed her lightly.

"You are dear to me, idiot" he said. "Have you broken it to Sirius?"

"That he's going to have puppies? Yes. He hasn't stopped wagging his tail since."

"How like a Gryffindor" said Severus dryly. "Puppies plural? And not Kittens?"

"Well he likes to think of them as puppies so I'll not quibble; they can choose their animagus forms when they're bigger" said Willow insouciantly. "Two I think; one of each. A nice little litter."

Severus gave up.

oOoOo

Lionel's group knew that Alice too was in the same interesting state; and Hagrid was worried.

"Och, dinnae fash" said Alice "Ah'm due end of September , weel past when ma' exams are due and Ah've no' even had morning sickness. Ah shouldnae even show wi' a firrrst bairn until school is oot."

Lionel did however persuade Alice to be checked over by Krait who informed Alice that she was blooming nicely with twin boys and even if she dropped early – as twins sometimes did – there shouldn't be any reason that they'd interrupt her exams.

"Not that you care much" said Krait cheerfully "But Rubeus would feel guilty if you missed out. And you have to consider his feelings you know. He IS yours."

"Aye, weel I do consider his feelings; tha's why for I didnae wish tae get him in the family way until after Christmas" said Alice, twinkling.

"You're a bad girl" said Krait, not meaning it.

She scolded Willow a bit more seriously for her rather close timing.

"If I'd waited another month we'd have been on top of the run-up to the ritual" said Willow "And it'd have been too flaming cold to seduce him properly in that little room without stopping to light a fire. And he'd have smelled one if I'd prepared it before hand and I'd NEVER have got him tied down. His boggart was failure, Krait; he had to have decisions like that taken from him to find he could succeed in the important things like love. I should be due end July or beginning of August; all serene, surely?"

Krait sighed.

"Let me know if anything starts feeling odd; twins can be impatient you know. You drop when you have a certain weight inside you; with two babies they can get to that quicker."

"I guess I hadn't thought of that" said Willow ruefully.

"An arithmancer who can't add one and one together to make two? You nutter, Willow! Oh well, if the worst symptom you have is an urge to chase and eat mice you won't be too bad. Dumbledore will do his nut though if he finds out that THREE of his girls are pregnant!"

"Three?"

"Dione, due in September, after surreptitiously joining the celebrations after the elf freeing, careless of all of us but she's so happy she doesn't care even if she gets expelled; Alice Trumball, better calculated than you and due in September also with twins."

"Lumme!" said Willow "Who's been knocking off Alice? Lionel Dell? I thought he was already going around with three girls from his group, Melody, Mary-Anne and Arjelan."

"Lionel's just greedy" said Krait "No, Alice isn't one of his, she's with Rubeus Hagrid."

"Hagrid?" Willow was taken aback.

"Why not?"

"Well, he's really nice and good fun and kind but, you know, I don't kind of see him as taking to bed material."

"If we all liked the same people life would be awfully boring" said Krait serenely.

"Well yeah, but….. oh well, like you say, it takes all sorts" said Willow. "After all there ARE people who don't like cricket."

oOoOo

Willow was a little preoccupied with cricket at the moment of course; it was that time of year again for playing fixtures, or at least the usual fixture against St Jodoc's.

The cricket team from St Jodoc's were the visitors again; and this time Willow had the happy idea of using the Room of Requirements as a dormitory for them.

They had put together two elevens with Lionel dragging in some of his group; the first eleven consisted of Willow, the Malfoy twins, Romulus, Elisa Mourne, Lionel, Mary-Anne, Melody, Tim, Tamsin and Ross.

Heather; who bubbled about cricket since her chalet school heroines played it, had been asked to captain the second eleven as she took to it rather well, and led Freya – reluctant but supportive – Jade, Cholaka, Arjelan, Harmony – following both her elder sister's and Jade's lead – Leo, Mad and Chad, Hadrian and Albert Macmillan.

The first eleven lost by three runs and a wicket; but the second eleven pulled a victory out of the bag with Albert's steady batting despite the rapid loss of the three insane mini marauders, as Jade described them, after having held the St Jodoc's boys down to one hundred and thirty six runs with Albert's wickedly slow bowled balls that broke unexpectedly and accounted for more of the opposition than Mad Fenwick's high speed deliveries. Ross notched up a half century and seven, and Albert managed sixty two not out.

"He's quite a cricketer even if he does have short square legs" joked Chad, who adored the strange terms in cricket.

Albert grinned.

He had no desire to be either a marauder or part of the Dell-Tuthill gang but being their friend was nice.

The second eleven also travelled to rural Sussex to play the Henderson Girls' School that had come to visit after Hogwarts had been given such a glowing report by Offstead; they now had enough pupils to scrape together an eleven. Jo Henderson, the Head's little sister, was the captain and in the year that it had been running it had doubled in numbers and more and now boasted eighteen pupils, so as she said to Willow, who had gone to supervise, she had some pick, but yet had to disappoint others.

Jo remembered Jade who had settled her and her friends into the train and was eager to chat again. Jade had to heavily expurgate what had been happening at school – one cannot really tell a muggle about fighting huorns and cursed lockets after all! The mini marauders' rubber spider jape was fine to tell and a quickly made up version of Parkinson's mean revenge, in saying that she had nicked all the ink cartridges in the pens of those she – wrongly – believed responsible, and it being during strict prep time they had had to get into trouble for using biros and being improperly prepared.

"Does speaking out about that count as sneaking? 'cos it's MEAN" said Jo.

Jade shrugged.

"They set a trap for her and she ended up covered in jelly and they told her she better leave them alone. The marauders TOLD her it was them, some people are plain mean."

Jade was sore at Parkinson at the moment; the girl was spreading the spiteful story that the locket wasn't really cursed at all and that Burke had pretended to be hurt for the sympathy vote.

"I'm glad we're still small enough that our teachers know all our personalities and who's mean" Jo said.

"Oh ours are pretty au fait" said Jade "Only the ones that got their ink nicked, they're my cousins and the class they were preparing for – junior Chemistry – is taught by my mum. So she had to be tough about it. Still, she was less knacky than she might have been so I suspect she had a shrewd idea. We're all in the same house too and Dad is head of house and he has to try to be as fair as possible to problem kids because most kids are a problem only because their parents are. Only getting through to some of them is like digging for oil with a teaspoon."

Jo laughed.

"That sounds like something one of your parents said?"

"Mum. She has some individualistic similes at times" said Jade. "Oh good, we're ready to play…tell your team to watch out for our Albert; his bowling's deceptive and breaks as wrong 'uns."

"Fred's a handy googly bowler for that matter" said Jo, naming Melissa Bassett who had acquired her nickname for the Fred Bassett cartoons.

It was a fun match.

The second eleven had not been playing together long but were still more of a team than the Hendy's as they called themselves. They declared at two hundred runs, having been put in to bat first by Jo, when she won the toss. The Hendy's managed to scrape to a hundred and sixty all out and the visitors declared they had put up a manful show with so relatively few to choose from.

The fact that the first and second eleven comprised almost all the cricket players at Hogwarts was beside the point.

After all they were all volunteers and as Willow often said, better eleven volunteers than a hundred and eleven pressed men.

"We did beat St Jodoc's boys this year" said Heather, as team captain to Jo. "The first eleven got hammered; there were several really good players left last September, and they were adjusting to almost half the team being new, which isn't as hard as with hockey but not easy anyway."

"Well, that's decent of you" said Jo. "Next time maybe we'll win!"

"Why not? We were well hammered at everything by St Jodoc's when we first started" said Heather.

oOoOo

Dympna had meanwhile come to in the sick bay. Dumbledore had debated sending her to St Mungo's but was concerned that Dawlish the auror might decide to confront her there – while she was weakened and receptive to interrogation, being the sort of thing Dawlish would think clever – and cause the child more harm. Hence against normal custom he kept her under the care of Madam Pomfrey with Severus monitoring her condition.

Dympna was very subdued.

Dumbledore had a long chat with the child and explained exactly what had happened.

"So you see, it was nothing personal, just a case of such utter selfishness that the feelings of others were as nothing to him" said Dumbledore.

Dympna was nobody's fool.

She knew that THAT was a commentary on her own behaviour too.

"Fortunately" said Dumbledore "There are unselfish people in the world too; and some of them are even intelligent. Had not Jade Snape realised that something was very wrong indeed – when you initially rose in the air most people just gawped – and started chanting the level of chant that she must have picked up eavesdropping on the chanting class, then my dear the outcome would have probably been very much worse. You would probably not have survived."

Dympna gasped.

"Would – would the awful dreams and things have KILLED me?"

"Essentially, my child yes; it is possible to die of fear. Now I think that your best way of dealing with what has happened is to talk to someone about what the phantasms that beset you were, and look at them in the open. Then you can start to move on."

"Who should I talk to? Professor Snape? Madam Malfoy?"

"Either of those would be eminently sensible choices. Or if you prefer you could talk to someone your own age, like Jade for example. She's a sensible child and a compassionate one."

"I need to thank her for saving my life."

"Then when she returns from her cricket match I'll ask her to come and see you" said Dumbledore.

oOoOo

Jade ran up to the sick bay still in her whites.

"They're a bit ladylike about the ball – dunno HOW they'd cope if they had to face bludgers – but some of them have a nice style" she reported "I suppose you don't care much though; cricket isn't really your thing, is it?"

"I don't know anything about it" said Dympna "I – I wanted to thank you for saving my life."

"Aw nuts" said Jade "I just saw your face and it was kinda like people who were under imperious curse and stuff by old Fishface. Instinct kicked in. How are you feeling? Dad explained what it was going to do – that is just so totally gross, it kinda makes you wonder what sort of sick bunny comes up with artefacts like that."

Dympna shuddered.

"I – I can't get some of it out of my head" she said.

Jade plonked herself down on the end of the bed.

"Trouble shared?" she said.

Dympna breathed a sigh of relief; she wasn't going to have to suggest it, to ask.

"Some of it's a bit confused" she said "All sorts of bad things mixed together."

"Like dementors do" Jade nodded. "Like in really bad dreams when you're fighting to wake up and can't."

"YES! Oh yes exactly like that. How did you know?"

Jade shrugged.

"When we were in the orphanage with mum before we knew we were Malfoys and witches it was….bad at times" she said "Took a couple of years to wake up without being afraid the waking was a dream. But we're not talking about my nightmares; just take it I understand."

"I – was living in a filthy dirty apartment with water running down the walls like some of those you see and my father was a goblin who was screaming at me, hitting me, throwing me about. They do you know."

"Not all goblins" said Jade "Gorbrin's dad was as gentle as any dad you could find. And I know of wizards who act like that. 's why some of the big ones are adopted; dad can't stand people like that."

Dympna stared.

"I – I've seen it! This bullying goblin, knocking his kids about, behaving like an animal!"

"Never said it doesn't happen; he sounds a real creep. But you said THEY do like it's all goblins…people who are really poor, whatever their race, can sometimes get violent in frustration. It's not an excuse; but it is a reason. This guy must have made a big impression; bet you saw the real one when you were small enough for him to be much bigger than you."

Dympna nodded.

"Yes; and my dad told him to get out of the way and he was all fawning and cringing then hitting them worse when we'd passed."

"That's why little kids sometimes join bully gangs – because by fawning on bullies they don't get bullied but they can make themselves feel less small by hitting on those even smaller. Bullies are generally cowards you know" said Jade. "That's a pretty awful nightmare though. Right at the bottom of the heap and no way out without even the comfort of a loving family."

"It – there was more. All the kids in Obscura Alley were beating on me too – they've done it once, I was so scared! – and they sold me to the Grubbe brothers to be used in a dark rite as a virgin. I – I've always been scared of the sign they used to have up before they were taken to Azkaban… I don't suppose you've seen it."

"I have as it happens; and I know that Mordecai Filch used to kidnap muggles to sell" Jade said. "Are you mostly upset because your father has been known to associate with people like that?"

Dympna nodded and burst into tears. Jade wriggled up to put an arm around her.

"He said I'D never have to worry about that notice because he had contacts to protect me" she said "But if he's in prison, how can he? I don't suppose his contacts will care to know him any more."

"Then they're not real friends, are they? Said Jade. "The best way to protect yourself is to join the MSHG that pledges to fight against things like that; and say that such things just STOP with our generation. Muggles or goblins, wizards or elves, we've got the same feelings. And you've had a taste of being a goblin child, and what it's like to be the poorest of the poor; so maybe you'll feel a bit more tolerant towards others, which means you can use this to get some positive out, right?"

"I don't know. I don't like goblins. Though Jazka was decent to me."

"Well hang on to that thought. Are you afraid to sleep by the way?"

"Yes."

"Then I guess the best thing for me to do is to do you a healing sleep chant and give you dreamless rest; and then you can deal with stuff better. You've been semi-conscious for days you know. Just hang on to some nice thoughts like all the colours Priscilla Parkinson's eye is going to where I blacked it for her for saying you were faking."

"You did?"

"Yeah, I know she's a year younger than me but sometimes the provocation gets too great; and I nutted her" said Jade. "Shh, now and lie back…." And she began a singsong chant that carried Dympna into dreamless sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Lee Nuffield met Dymna at Shenfield station whence she had been apported by Beloc.

"Hi kid" he said "Heard about the cursed thing; my parents have been told you have had Rheumatic Fever; it's awfully rare but it can leave a heart murmur so they've been advised be careful with you and keep you quiet. They won't fuss over you; mum's good with people who are sick, she don't fluff up pillows you've just got nicely squashed. Do you answer to Dympna by the way or do you have a nickname? It's a bit of a monicker!"

"I've never had a nickname" said Dympna "I – it's just my name."

"Good job you're not at a secondary modern school" said Lee "For the – well, for those who aren't well off – because some of them are pretty common and would come up with names implying that you were – well, dim."

"I get called those names by the common kids near where I live."

"Wizarding world got the same types has it? Ah well" said Lee. "Here's our train, change at Peterborough if the engine hasn't caught fire, broken down, there's leaves on the line or the wrong type of rain."

Dympna gave him a sideways look. Was he joking or not? The tone was somewhere between teasing and resigned. Lee intercepted the look and gave a rueful laugh.

"Peterborough is notorious for being a station where things go wrong; one train I heard of did catch fire – not seriously – but they changed it, and the replacement went two hundred yards and shuddered to a halt. WITH I'm pleased to say the Minister of Transport aboard in the middle of winter with no heating. It's also the coldest station in England because it is the focus of all the winds from the north with nothing between it and Iceland but a stray seal in the North Sea. Yes, I AM joking but only a little bit. You'd better face the way the engine's going, if you're feeling a bit delicate, THANK you sir, yes the child's been ill, but she doesn't throw up very often and it's not as technicoloured as to used to be, almost probably no longer infectious…..oh, thank you, kind of you to give up your seat like that!"

Dympna giggled as Lee's outrageous comments cleared the double seat.

"That was not honest!"

"No it wasn't was it? Comfy?"

"Yes, thank you." Dympna said. It was nice to have a wide seat to herself not be crammed next to a big man who smelled of pipe smoke.

oOoOo

Kind gentle Mrs Nuffield and quiet, scholarly Dr Nuffield – a doctor of literature, Lee explained not of medicine so not likely to ask searching questions about the fictional rheumatic fever – put a whole new slant on Dympna's view of muggles. Mrs Nuffield too dug out an old series of school books she had 'rather dated dear, but you might enjoy them' about a girl who rejoiced in the name Daphne Isabel Maitland who answered to Dimsie.

Dympna rather took to Dimsie; she reminded her of Jade and when Lee laughingly suggested the nickname for herself seized on it eagerly.

Dimsie really was a very different girl to Dympna after all.

There were no horrid jeering children, nor others she felt forced to compete with as at Hogwarts; she met Lee's small cousin, who was sweet and uncomplicated in her adoration of Lee and his pet snakes and who prattled to them by the hour in – Dimsie assumed – Parseltongue. Lee's mother thought it sweet that the child should pretend to understand the snakes but a little unhealthy that she should spend too long playing such lets' pretend and sent her out to show Dimsie around the big garden, paddock and orchard.

The paddock housed a couple of ageing donkeys that Mrs Nuffield had rescued, and Lee showed Dimsie how to feed them carrots.

She was almost sorry when the holidays were over!

oOoOo

Others had busier holidays.

Polly, dragging Leo, burst into the Snapes to find Lydia and sobbed that there were half elf children on sale.

Lydia sent an 'I want you' pulse to Draco and Harry, telling Polly that she must learn to do the same; and they went to see what was going on.

Draco sent the children firmly home and called in more adult blood group.

Of course he reported in full later.

The owner of the unfortunate child was a man called Absolom Porkins, and Draco described him as a greedy little fart. He had inherited a male house elf; and thinking the stud fees insufficient had proceeded to lure muggle women with promises of jobs in childcare, enslaving three he thought suitable, and ordering his house elf to impregnate them. The child on sale was the oldest, called Hoggy by his erstwhile owner and named Roger by his mother. She had three other children whom she firmly called Annette, Leonard and Derek and tried to keep them aware of their human names and identities despite then being addressed as Nenny, Lenny and Derry by Porkins; and she had talked the other women into doing similarly with Michelle, Colin and Dilys, and Henry and Calley, these two changed least. Draco and Harry had arrested him for half-muggle trafficking long enough to legilimens him legally and discover he had muggle slaves, on which charge they could legitimately do him, even though the legalities over owning and selling half elves was a very unclear issue. Draco had in any case said firmly that children belonged to their mothers who were legally free even if held in slavery and were therefore born free. And to be on the safe side he had insisted the mothers give garments to their children to make sure. Which made Mengey, the house elf, belong to his oldest son Roger.

Roger, with matters explained to him, at nine years old was quite capable of giving Mengey a sock and telling him he might stay and help him and his siblings and their mothers get a life or not as he chose.

Mengey just wanted to be given orders; surviving on his own was not something he could cope with!

"Roger was on the verge of becoming totally embittered; he could have been a nasty piece of work when he grew up" said Draco "I think we caught him in time; and fired him with a desire to help rescue other slaves when he grows up. I suspect he was fairly rebellious even before our ritual hit him and cleared him of having to think careful thoughts. I left 'em in the care of my mothers; THEY'll know how to sort them out!"

The Madams Malfoy, all three of them, were indeed extremely good at sorting people out.

And Hermione had needed restraining.

"I do believe she's pregnant" said Draco "REALLY had a go at Porkins; I mean she's a bit snippy at the best of times but it looked like a hormone trip to me!"

"Draco" said Lydia "You are SO digging yourself a big hole."

Draco pulled a comic face.

"Putting spade down now and shutting diplomatically up" he said.

oOoOO

Naturally Gorbrin and Erica and their siblings helped to reassure the young half elves while their mothers decided what to do.

It was Charlotte who suggested that they set up in business – subsidised by the society for marginalised and indigent females – as a day care centre in Obscura Alley for those women who had to work part time and had trouble finding somewhere to park their children.

"With a few more employees too they can get rudimentary education to prepare them for the free school that starts in September" said Charlotte. "You can never fully go back to the muggle world; you have your children to consider."

"Honey, if that Porkins creep is an exception not the rule, it looks like an exciting world to explore" said Irene, the mother of Henry and Calley, a pretty black woman.

Christine, a redhead and mother of Michelle, Colin and Dilys nodded her head.

"He picked us from those that had no family ties so no fuss was made" she said "We've none of us anything to go back to; I had a boyfriend but almost eight years down the line – Michelle's seven – I doubt he's likely to be carrying a torch for me. We hadn't had time to get close. And we can help your work by training women who need to find themselves that has to be good."

"I'd like to stay with the others" said Anita, a blonde, the one who had been there longest, Roger's mother. "Roger is talking about this 'Hogwarts' school is that the school in the alley?"

"No it's the school for rich kids like ours" said Narcissa "And if he gets the scholarship he'll go there; and I expect he will; he seems quite capable. Our little horrors have been teaching him a wide selection of jinxes and hexes to protect his mum and his siblings. I think Charlotte has had an excellent idea; after all you all wanted to work in childcare. We'll pay you to run it and leave the rest to you…. Christine I think will be in charge; you're the most forceful."

It was a topic of conversation amongst the children getting on the train at Kings' Cross; and Lionel Dell had been sorry not to have been part of it! Still, doubtless he and his group would find plenty of other injustices over which to occupy themselves.

Dimsie arrived with her hair done differently, held by the hand by Lee Nuffield and walking right past Dawlish. Lee handed her over to Jade and went out and approached the tough-looking wizard with short wiry hair.

"Dawlish?" he asked. "Auror?"

"Yes" said Dawlish.

"You're not, I believe, permitted to do anything to muggles, are you?" said Lee, pleasantly.

"No of course not."

"Well technically and by law I'm a muggle" said Lee "And I'd like to give you my opinion of what I think of men who want to persecute and torture little girls."

With which he drove a rugby-hardened knee into Dawlish' crotch and nutted him as he folded.

"NICE one Nuffield!" called Lionel.

oOoOo

The express left on time with no further mishap and Dawlish was NOT on it – despite trying to insist.

Lionel had told him, quietly, that he had Dumbledore's express orders not to let him on.

Which was indeed true; Dumbledore had used fire talking to tell Lionel this before he left, and so legilimensy would show. Lionel met Dawlish calmly in the eyes to use the skill – if he had it. He also let him see how much he despised the man, and that did NOT require legilimensy to read.

"You'd sing a different tune I wager if she were not a Slytherin like you" said Dawlish.

Lionel's eyes narrowed.

"You know, if you were a man I'd call you out for that" he said.

This took a moment to sink in and Dawlish's face took on an ugly look.

"What do you mean by that?"

"A real man searches out villains and deals with them, not little girls of thirteen years old. Don't think you can scare me old boy; I've fought Odessa agents even if I was too young to be allowed to fight the forces of Voldemort."

Dawlish was a little taken aback; but he looked into the eyes of a young man who has faced battle and who had the same sort of look as those who had the scar even though this youth was too young to bear it. Lionel let his blood synchronise with his group and prepared to do whatever was necessary to carry out Dumbledore's orders; and somehow Dawlish sensed the power that backed him, realised that here he was not about to win.

"Your name, boy?" he snarled "I shall report you!"

"My name is Lionel Dell and I shall be honoured that you report me for my school spirit and obedience to my headmaster" said Lionel. "To receive such an accolade from ANY auror is quite splendid. To whom might you report such, Mr Dawlish?"

Dawlish snarled and turned away.

The boy had committed no crime; in the old days he might have faced a hearing for defiance of the Ministry but this new government seemed to think that people should be allowed to express opinions against the government and ministry quite freely and even to meet and demonstrate!

Dawlish may have gained 'O's in all his NEWTs but somewhere he had missed a few points and during his training such things were not considered deficiencies.

"Ravenclaw I expect" Lionel murmured to himself as he went through the barrier.

Of course the stuffier members of the ministry weren't happy right now anyway.

One of the things Lionel heard Jade telling her set on the train was that her mum had been in the ministry over the holidays lodging a formal complaint about Dawlish and had become irritated with the statue in the foyer with its noble witch and wizard looked up to by an adoring house elf and comic goblin and admiring centaur and had undertaken a little transfiguration so the house elf and goblin both looked proud and the witch and wizard (now Harry and Ginny) knelt to be more of a height with them, all looking out together and all with wands pointing forward implacably spraying water. The centaur was given a more disdainful expression but was otherwise left more or less alone, backing the group but shifted round so its backside was now pointed at the receptionist and spraying its own jet of water.

Jade reported gleefully that nobody in the ministry had been able to put the statue back yet.

"And they won't either unless they put together a forty or more strong blood group 'cos she was the focus and we all backed!" said Jade chuckling. "Besides, it's been changed using thoughts in Parseltongue; and we KNOW the ministry can't sod with that because they couldn't duplicate Dark Marks!"

"Dad was in there" said Erica "And they were fuming! HE guessed what might have happened and suggested that maybe the statue changed spontaneously to represent a bright future but with constant vigilance. Is there something about that phrase that's funny?"

"It was the catchphrase - still is I guess – of Alastor Moody when he was teaching DADA" said Jade. "Uncle Lucius is clever; they'll convince themselves it's the true answer, it beats having to accept there's a witch so powerful she can do that without word or wand or breaking step on her way somewhere."

Lionel was impressed.

oOoOo

Dimsie had shared her new name with Jade, rather shyly, and found that Jade had read the books.

"Good" said Jade "So if I say 'am I or am I not the hardest in this dormitory' you'll giggle too?"

"I thought you were more like Dimsie herself than Erica" said Dimsie. "Thank goodness we don't have a Rosamund!"

"Yes, one would have to TRY to be kind to her but I must say, people who turn on the tears don't half make me want to shake them a little bit!" said Jade. "I think I like Dimsie better than Dympna by the way."

"Dimsie's had some shocks" said Dympna/Dimsie "Maybe she's learned some things from them."

"Muggle studies hobbies group" said Jade wisely.

oOoOo

Gorbrin was still hoping Meliandra Bulstrode had learned enough from dropping Parkinson to feel like being friendly; though she was offhand something about her drew him to the sullen girl. Meliandra however seemed sufficient unto herself, joining neither with the bloodsnobs of the class nor with the more laid back.

She did get into a temper almost as bad as the spoilt tantrum she had thrown in Diagon Alley when Wilfrid Crabbe refused to let her have her share of the Herbology library book that they were working from, since there were enough only for two per house and four people were working out of the other. She snatched at it and a page tore.

Meliandra's screeches dropped to instant silence.

Madam Ermin was not as bad as the first years had heard Madam Pince had been; but a torn library book was a serious thing.

"Look" said Crabbe lowering his voice "No need for near pure bloods like us to take the blame; there's two goblins in our house, blame either of them."

Meliandra slapped him hard and loudly.

"You COWARD!" she yelled "If you think I'm going to lay the blame on anyone you creep you can think again!" and she picked up the book, looking terrified and headed for the door.

"Half a mo, Bulstrode" said Erica "Are you heading for the library?"

"Yes; I'm going to get owning up over and done with."

"Let me try something first?" said Erica.

Meliandra shrugged.

"Why not?"

Erica got out paper and coloured pencils and opened the book at the torn page, and started to very carefully copy.

"What are you doing?" asked Meliandra "You can't just add a page!"

"It's cleverer than that" said Jazka "She fixed my squint using this; Erica's brilliant!"

Erica drew the tear carefully; then concentrating she equally carefully rubbed it out. The page mended as she did so.

"Wow" said Meliandra. "Thank you Malfoy; I am in your debt."

Erica shrugged and grinned.

"It was Crabbe's fault really anyway; but catch HIM owning up."

"He wanted to blame the goblins" said Meliandra.

"DID he now" said Erica. She got out her pencils again and started to draw the unsuspecting Crabbe who was busy writing from the notes he had almost finished.

Erica gently lengthened his nose for him. Crabbe rubbed it, aware it felt odd, not taking much notice. The pustules across his forehead spelling 'fink' also caused him to scratch a little. Erica enlarged his nose a little more, gave him points to his ears – Crabbe was starting to wonder if something was going on by now, but nobody had wand out or was even looking at him – so he looked like a comic opera wizard wearing a goblin mask. Plus the vituperation of course.

"That'll do" said Erica calmly and put the drawing away in her bag.

Crabbe went into supper all unconscious of his appearance – not having stopped to wash his hands on the way in common with a distressingly large number of first year boys – and was taken aback to be the subject of sniggers.

"Crabbe" said Hawke Malfoy "Didn't you look in the mirror to straighten your hair when you washed your hands?"

Crabbe muttered something.

"I think you should go and repair any omissions you made in your ablutions" said Hawke "And you may feel as though you should seek advice thereafter."

Crabbe's howl of anguish was audible in the great hall from the nearest boys' bathroom.

oOoOo

Madam Pomfrey confessed herself at a loss as to how to deal with the problem; and reluctantly called in Professor Snape, who surveyed the boy critically.

"Well almost anything might be considered an improvement on your normal appearance Mr Crabbe but I have to say these embellishments have managed to achieve the near impossible to make your visage even more repellently loathsome than ordinary" he said. "Hmm, this is not a standard kind of jinx, I detect no wand work…have you been handling any cursed items lately Mr Crabbe?"

"I don't think so sir" said Crabbe.

"I will take me a little while to research a means to return you to normal" said Severus "As it is neither life threatening nor likely to affect you seriously you can continue as you are while I do so."

"I can't go about looking like this!" wailed Crabbe.

"Then you had better remain in the sickroom" said Severus "I'll see the staff set you plenty of work so you do not become bored" he added seeing the boy brighten at the thought of getting a holiday out of it.

Crabbe returned to the school after almost a week, having had the less than pleasant experience of being chanted over by Professor Snape using most uncomplimentary words about his appearance whilst doing so.

Erica investigated the drawing and found that the power of Severus' chanting had driven it back to being a normal portrait; and nor would it now alter in any way.

"Crumbs he's HARD!" she said to her own group.

oOoOo

Crabbe's appearance was not the only thing being commented upon.

Dione, who would also have agreed as to the hardness of Severus in more respects than one, was decidedly broody. She was also starting to blossom early.

She had the protection of doing most of her classes with the majority of the marauders – as well as Potions she was taking DADA, Charms and Herbology. Only Myrtle, Romulus and Willow shared Herbology with her but they were enough of a protection. And as Willow was in the same interesting condition Dione had sympathy from that quarter even if Myrtle was a trifle smug about how good she and Abraxus were being and Rom sighed gently, hugged Dione, and muttered something about oversexed dads.

Lindie and Emma of Ravenclaw were inclined to giggle.

"Who's been giving you Amortentia, Parnassus?" said Lindie "As I recall you were going on about true love when we talked about love potions…. Seems like you been left in the lurch by true lust!"

"So very Ravenclaw, ready to leap to conclusions before they have all their facts straight" sighed Dione "It's why, as a little bird told me, some people can calculate the rate of flow of the average _aguamenti_ spell to be equal to that of the Dee in spate…."

Emma flushed.

"That's not fair!" she said.

"And picking on me with the same tone of giggle as a fourth year is?" said Dione. "I don't like you two very much; you're silly."

Nobody likes being called silly; especially people from the supposedly academic house.

Emma let fly with a jinx.

Dione's own _Protego_ went up; she had been practising. Several others flashed out from the wands of her bodyguard.

"Creed are you insane?" said Romulus "Have you any idea the length of time you can spend in Azkaban for jinxing a pregnant woman? And you've no excuse of not knowing, 'cos you two were commenting on it. It's forbidden for a reason you know; the effects to an unborn foetus are incalculable!"

Creed went white.

"I'm sorry Parnassus" she said.

"But you didn't ought to be flaunting yourself in that state!" said Lindie Drew "It's a bad example to the kids! You should be expelled by rights, an unwed mother!"

"Who says I'm unwed?" said Dione.

She certainly considered herself to be married to Severus.

"Well – you ought to wear a wedding ring then!" said Lindie.

Dione shrugged.

"Perhaps I should" she said.

oOoOo

Her response to Emil Porteous was a little different.

Porteous grinned nastily.

"Well, well, Parnassus, there's you looked all virginal and untouchable and all along you're a goer! How's about a little go with me?" he reached out to touch a breast familiarly.

Porteous reminded Dione rather too much of Kevin, the man whose rape of her had resulted in Ismenia; but she had more tools at her disposal to fight back now. Porteous received a very directional stinging hex that made him double up howling in anguish and only later found out that his backside was also covered in hickeys and his rear end reddened as though he had been enjoying a homosexual relationship.

As Porteous was uncompromisingly racist too, Dione happened to mention that she had heard that he was on good terms with a big bearded centaur.

That made for a sufficiency of jokes in the boys' showers to keep Porteous purple with rage and embarrassment.

oOoOo

Dumbledore did comment,

"My dear Miss Parnassus, or perhaps I should say Madam Snape, I do wish you might have waited a few months."

"I never was any good at arithmancy sir" said Dione. "Actually I DID brew a contraceptive potion and I thought I got it right. I wanted to show off to Severus. But I guess I made a blooper."

"Well if you tried….even the best potions fail sometimes my dear. Ah well, we've done this before. Just try not to give birth early during the exams; it upsets the examiners."

"Sir, even Krait never did that!"

Dumbledore twinkled.

"No, even Krait never did that. I should expel you; but I don't plan to make that a habit for the weaknesses of human nature. And you've had enough bad in your life I can see why you want some good. Are you happy to be with child?"

"Deliriously sir; I wanted his baby anyway, I meant to wait but, well, there you go."

"Quite so; and so this baby is meant to be."

oOoOo

Dione did ask Severus if it would be in order for her to wear a wedding ring however.

"I am your third wife aren't I?" she said "Lindie Drew said…."

"Lindie Drew says a very great deal some of which is not terribly wise" said Severus "But I think it a good idea. It proves you to be attached and no scarlet woman. I'll get you one."

It did not scotch all the comments; but it did quiet some.

The first did not even notice.

They had more interesting things to discuss than Dione's expanding belly; like Crabbe's expanding nose.

Erica brought in the story of Pinocchio to read.

However Crabbe was lucky that another matter distracted his classmates; for Gorbrin noticed that Mardo was staring at the Daily Prophet with a white fixed expression; and went to him as soon as breakfast was over.

George Monk was already supporting him and showed Gorbrin a news item.

The story ran of the messy killing of a goblin scarlet woman named Gridala, speculating that a deatheater may have escaped or possibly it had been at the hands of the juvenile male that apparently lived with her who appeared to be on the run since he was nowhere to be found.

"Not that they looked for him at school mind" said George "This is Mardo's mum!"

"This needs to go to Professor Dumbledore" said Gorbrin. "It's beyond a House Head" and certainly he thought beyond little Madam Sprout.

Dumbledore unravelled the story and listened with kind eyes.

"I will certainly put the Quaestorium right about where her son is" he said "My poor child! What a way to learn about such a thing. George, why don't you take Mardo to the sick bay? He needs time to grieve, you may take the day out of school as well. I shall return."

When Dumbledore did return he asked for Severus.

"I want to sound off" said Dumbledore. "Incompetent blithering idiots! It's apparent to the meanest intelligence this is a sex crime – and so a pervert is on the loose – but oh no! Dawlish has picked up the case and he will have it the boy must have done it! The fact that he was in Scotland in classes and she was in London – with too great a distance for even a time-turner to make it possible is neither here not there. I must be shielding him because I don't want to spoil the reputation of my goblin students. The child is eleven; I pointed out, even if he had a means of magic transport and time duplication beyond those known to the ministry is it likely he's going to commit a nasty sex crime and on his own mother? But apparently there's no telling what goblins might do!"

"Dawlish is beginning to be wearisome" said Severus. "I'll apply my mind to it."

"Thank you Severus. With your tortuous brain upon the subject I feel happier!" said Dumbledore.

Severus raised an eyebrow.

"My tortuous brain is as ever at your disposal, Albus."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Gorbrin knew what it was like to lose a parent suddenly, tragically; and in a way, so did Erica, having been wrest, blind and frightened, from her mother when Charlotte was sent to jail for stealing to try to get her daughter an operation. But Erica had known her mother was still alive; and Gorbrin had still had one parent and all his siblings. Mardo had nobody. And he had sobbed out to George that he wondered if his mother had been going with slightly peculiar clients to pay for him to go to Rowan House and now he had a scholarship that one of them had wanted revenge for her not carrying on.

George was a sensible child who proceeded to relate this to Professor Dumbledore to pass on and then told Gorbrin and Erica as their big brother was an auror in case the usual channels didn't work. George, as a muggle born, was intensely cynical about any governmental body and believed that the old boy network was the only way things worked.

Gorbrin did not necessarily dispute that.

Only the nosiness of Lucius Malfoy and his ability to make waves was responsible for the reopening of his own father's case.

Gorbrin felt deeply for Mardo; but it was hard, at the same time not to be excited about being a chaser on the House Quidditch team. Lucius had arranged permission for him to use his own broom – as he was on the team – and it felt wonderful!

He came to collect his broom one day for practice and found Meliandra Bulstrode beating on Darryl Zabini without even recourse to wands. He listened to what she was screaming at Zabini – lying on the ground with Bulstrode kneeling on him – to try to figure out why his broom was lying on the floor beside them and why they were fighting.

Meliandra was shouting,

"And what's more, I'd support a half troll, half acromantula if he helped win the Quidditch cup for Slytherin House! You racist little creep, you're just the offspring of a praying mantis, everyone knows how your mother got so rich!"

Gorbrin cleared his throat delicately.

"I believe I have you to thank for defending my broom from sabotage, Bulstrode" he said.

"The creep hasn't got a clue" said Melianda, taking Zabini's head by the ears and giving it a thoughtful bang on the ground. "Fortunately I saw him come in here and got nosy; I didn't like the way he was acting last night, looking up curses in a book, and when I went to the library it fell open at the hurling curse, so I figured what he was up to and was on the watch. He'd just taken your broom off the rack and was going for his wand so I jumped him."

"Thanks" said Gorbrin "That was awfully cleverly worked out."

Meliandra flushed.

"I like to read Auror-tales and whodunnits" she said.

"I never read any. Have you any here? Sounds like they sharpen the mind – if you'd let me borrow any" said Gorbrin.

Meliandra hesitated; then nodded.

"All right" she said.

Romulus asked sharply why Gorbrin was late.

Gorbrin hesitated.

"To the son of my stepdad's friend not to a prefect?" he said.

Romulus nodded. Gorbrin went on,

"Zabini was trying to sabotage my broom and Bulstrode whacked him for it" he said succinctly.

Romulus nodded.

"I'll stick up a few charms of my own on your broom before you put it away" he said.

"Thanks" said Gorbrin.

oOoOo

There was a match against Hufflepuff the day after; and Gorbrin was determined not to let anyone spoil his pleasure in the game. Meliandra was there to cheer people on; she had not made the team herself, but was unstinting in her support which in the light of disappointment Gorbrin thought was pretty sporting of her. Romulus had told her she had a good chance in next year's tryouts when he and Hawke had left school, and not to give up and Meliandra had been pleased.

The Huffers were not an inspired team and Rom, Ed and Gorbrin were quickly notching up goals against them, the keeper trying to guard the three rings with a marked lack of success. This was partly because of the tactics Romulus had devised of swooping directly at him and pulling away at the last moment, so no-one could be accused of blatching, flying with intent to collide.

It required some pretty coordination to then get out of the scoring area so a chaser with the quaffle could get in to score and avoiding a penalty for stooging; but it was a well practised team of players willing to play AS a team and it worked well against the easily flustered Hufflepuff keeper.

They were not to use the same tactics against the Gryffindors who had Abraxus as his brother's counterpart as keeper; Abraxus was far too flexible a keeper, who played the double-eight loop around the goals stood on his broom and had been known to leap clear over a bludger aimed to knock him off and land lightly back on his feet.

That had been in the Gryffindor match against Ravenclaw – the Slytherin audience mostly cheered for Gryffindor since there were so many families that shared their members out between the houses – and Gorbrin had cheered himself hoarse at such daring tactics!

Hawke was known to do similar but he conceded that broomsurfing was more Abraxus' speciality than his. Indeed all the New Marauders seemed capable of the feat, and Gorbrin secretly intended to teach himself over the long holidays.

Hufflepuff went down to Jade's easily caught snitch bringing the score to an ignominious four hundred and fifty to seventy.

Hawke claimed he let in seven goals out of sympathy; but that was blague that had Romulus insert a wand up his friend's robe and cast _aguamenti_ for his cheek.

Hawke laughed and admitted that the Huffers had a few promising chasers if they would only be given room to develop and weren't made to follow too strict a gameplan.

"Great planners, Huffers" he said "Not that great on plans that can be flexible."

It did rather sum up most Huffers, Gorbrin had to admit – with the exception of those who were part of Lionel Dell's set!

oOoOO

George Monk's parents turned up at the school shortly after the match and Mardo reappeared in school shortly thereafter, still very subdued but with a new surname. George had written home to his parents – who had met Mardo in the Christmas holidays – and they had offered to adopt Mardo, having discussed the matter with their other two children Frank and Evadne, luminaries of Rowan House and genuinely delighted for their little brother that he had enough ability to actually be a wizard, and equally filled with compassion for his friend.

That Dawlish turned up at school with a written order to interrogate Mardo was not conducive to the child's wellbeing; but Dumbledore could not refuse and merely insisted that the boy's adoptive parents, house mistress and himself be present together with a legal representative.

The legal representative was Draco Malfoy.

Dawlish stared.

"Malfoy" he said in a tone like he was chewing on slugs, as Draco later described it. "Aren't you too busy for so petty a case?"

"Not when I'm representing a friend of my kid sister and brother" said Draco insouciantly. "And when I've got a packet of evidence to show how badly you've mismanaged this whole case and others, old boy. First inclined to ignore it because nobody cares about a goblin whore – I've a deposition from someone who heard you use those words – second, your refusal to accept a rather clear alibi and third your apparent determination to hound the children at this school, Miss Burke and now Mr Monk. All of which starts to look like either a grudge against Professor Dumbledore or else some perverse satisfaction that you gain in hurting and upsetting children. The first is a less damning thing; and I know you were Fudge's man when he was persecuting my friend Harry Potter. You're also a racist little git because I recall you trying to arrest Hagrid once, basically for the crime of being a half-giant, when he was taking care of Buckbeak. You are unfair to goblins and I've put in a request to have you taken off the case on grounds of bias. Now you had better remember that Mr Monk is a very little boy who is in shock and grieving for his mother when you ask him questions, old boy; because every time you upset him I'm going to add that to my personal grudge list against you. I hope I make myself pellucidly clear?"

He did; and Dawlish ground his teeth.

He loathed Lucius Malfoy and had done so at school when Lucius was a cocky child cheeking his seniors and jinxing pompous prefects – such as Dawlish had been.

Lucius' oldest son was just as bad; and the randy bastard had mistresses crawling out of the woodwork to add yet more of the filthy Malfoy breed to the world – and he was so shameless that one was a goblin! Who dared to call herself Madam Malfoy no less!

Dawlish was therefore a little less rough in questioning Mardo that he had intended.

"When did you last see your mother?" he demanded.

"When I left to catch the school train sir" said Mardo sadly "At least I kissed her goodbye. Oh sir, is it definitely her? The Prophet said she was m-messily killed, is there any chance her face was – was – I mean, that it's mistaken identity? She wouldn't have read about it see, because she doesn't read so good!"

"The female in question was identified by neighbours as Gridala" said Dawlish pompously.

"Y'know, referring to a kid's mother as 'the female in question' is not very nice Dawlish" said Draco "How'd you like me to refer to your mother as 'a female' in that tone of voice? I mean, birthing something like you, she might very well be but I have impeccable manners and would give her the benefit of the doubt."

Dawlish went purple.

"I like him" Mr Monk mouthed to Mrs Monk. They had been told to try not to make any comment to the auror.

Dawlish pursed his lips.

"I put it to you that on the night of the 23rd you left school secretly and made your way to London and killed your mother for reason or reasons unknown!" said Dawlish.

Mardo burst into tears.

"How can you?" he cried "Don't you HAVE a mother? Nobody does that to their mother!"

"Aha, does WHAT?" Dawlish pounced.

"K-kills them of course!" said Mardo.

"You knew she was cut about" pursued Mardo.

"AS" said Draco "Does ANYONE who reads the Prophet. Dawlish, while you've been wasting your time browbeating this little boy I have legilimensed him; as you know I have a legilimensy certificate first class and I have the permission of his legal guardians to use the skill to clear his name. Now I shall be pressing charges against you for child molesting and bringing your eagerness to get Miss Burke on her own as evidence."

"Hear hear!" said Mr Monk.

Dawlish swung round looking poisonous.

"Out of your jurisdiction old boy" said Draco cheerfully "The Monks are muggles; their talented son is a friend of young Mardo. You can contact Arthur Weasley and ask him to persecute – ah, prosecute – them for tender care of an adopted son, and see him scratch his head over finding such a law on the statute books if you like. I should think Arthur will probably hit you though" he added meditatively. "DO you have a mother by the way? You don't seem to have much concept about how most lads feel about their mum, so I was wondering if you were actually spawned in some dark ritual."

"Draco" said Dumbledore.

Draco bowed with exquisite grace.

"My apologies, Professor, for too flippant a reference to such things" he said. "Dawlish has quite enough to worry about in my suit against his deficiencies, peccadilloes, personal habits and possible sexual preferences to be too perturbed by something so minor as any irregularities in his antecedents."

Mr Monk gave a bark of laughter.

"Neatest way I ever heard anyone called a bastard!" he muttered to his wife.

"'Ssh Tim" she said, trying not to grin savagely at Draco's dissection of Dawlish.

"Well, Mr Dawlish, if you've finished what sounded to me a close to illegal questioning of my adoptive son I should think it'll be all right for him to get back to school" said Timothy Monk. "Run along lad!"

Mardo paused to bow to the headmaster, one of Krait's relatively recently introduced customs, hesitated and bowed to the portraits of former headmasters, and fled relieved.

"Nice boy, excellent manners" murmured the portrait of Armando Dippet.

"Not bad for a half breed" commented Phineas Nigellus "Better manners than this Ravenclaw clod; always was better at passing exams than actual living."

"A disgrace to the house" said Everard scornfully.

Dawlish looked uncomfortable. Dumbledore smiled gently.

"Well, Dawlish, you've nothing to stay for, have you?" he said.

"I could talk to that Burke girl while I'm here…."

"I said no before Dawlish and I mean it. There is no way you can even bring an imaginary charge against her even if you have managed to bamboozle the office into issuing an order to question Mardo Monk."

"Interfere with anymore children, Dawlish and I'll arrest you" said Draco "And I hope you'll resist. 'cos I got as many 'O' grades as you. Oh wait, actually I got one more. And by the way, did anyone ever tell you I honed my duelling skills against Voldemort's closest allies? You can't manage to arrest anyone that isn't socially isolated or weak or a child because you're a…."

"I hope you weren't about to be coarse Draco" murmured Dumbledore.

"I beg your pardon Headmaster" said Draco "Let me rephrase that; you're a hopeless incompetent, Dawlish, who'd like to climb one day to the level of moronic if only you could escape the stigma of being slightly below a flobberworm on the scale of evolutionary excellence. Better, Professor?"

"Severus could not have put it better" said Dumbledore.

"I will say that for young Snape he has an excellent battery of vocabulary and trains his disciples well in it" commented Phineas Nigellus.

The Muggles were enjoying this if a little startled by the talking portraits.

"Let's go now, shall we, old boy?" said Draco to Dawlish "Make sure you get safely off the premises."

"Do you seriously think any of these brats may try to attack me?" said Dawlish.

"You misunderstand, old boy" said Draco "I wasn't thinking of acting like your bodyguard, more after the nature of the half-troll bouncer at Belcher and Goodtime's. 'Servant, Professor." He too bowed to Dumbledore and to the portraits.

"What is all this bowing business?" grumbled Dawlish on the way down.

"M'cousin introduced it" said Draco "The French students rise for their masters and mistresses; and so do the pupils of the better muggle schools. And it seems good to show extra respect by bowing – or curtseying for the girls – to the head. A matter of courtesy you know. Or rather, you probably don't know; not in your lexicon, courtesy."

It should be recorded that this was the last straw for Dawlish who went for his wand; and the pupils of Hogwarts had the rare treat of watching an unseemly brawl between two aurors which was over far too quickly since Draco was clearly in a different class. He used _mobilocorpus_ to take the helpless, leg-locked, jelly armed Dawlish with slugs pouring out of his mouth and bats out of his nose and returned him to Alastor Moody with his notes, having been instructed to give Dawlish enough rope to let him hang himself.

Dawlish was on suspension; and Draco took over his cases, and it may be said tracked down the muggle killer of Mardo's mother in a little under twenty hours time.

The body was left for the muggle authorities to find; they were to write Gridala down as an illegal immigrant of uncertain ethnic origin and no papers but they still tracked down her killer with the success that usually attends a sex killing in Britain. Draco was able to go and see Mardo and tell him about it; and the boy wept in both grief for his mother welling up anew and relief that it was all over, that the killer was known and would be punished.

oOoOo

Meanwhile Severus asked the MSHG if any of them had helped themselves to boomslang skin from the potions dungeon because he would forgive anyone who owned up promptly. The MSHG were nonplussed and collectively shook innocent heads.

"Abraxus" said Severus "I recall you buying a box full of magical stuff in what I think is called a 'car boot sale'. In addition to your invisibility cloak, wasn't there a glass of true seeing?"

"Yes, we planned to use it on the fey until you came up with your excellent glamour dispersing ointment" said Abraxus.

Severus froze.

"MMmm" he said "I wonder if that works on….no, because it doesn't work to show up animagi. I KNOW who an animagus is because I know them all – your Falcon is very beautiful, by the way, Hawke, now you've perfected it, but why is it green?"

"Muggle cartoon series" said Hawke. "Jade Falcons. Mechs. Neeeyoww takatakataka FAZOOM!"

Severus regarded him.

"From Avice and Alienora that would make sense. From the head of Slytherin House I might have expected a little more coherency."

Hawke grinned.

"Ain't going to happen I'm afraid Severus; either you've been there or you haven't."

"Science fiction set in a far future with fantastic machines and a group of humans isolated and bred to believe themselves the master race and the destined rulers of the universe" said Abraxus a little more clearly. "The Jade Falcons are a bit like the SS, arrogant sons of bitches but with a code of honour and a severe sense of style. They're the enemy but they're a kind of cool enemy. We thought it might give us some ideas. And it's fun."

"Which is the real reason of course" said Severus "You kids with televisions don't half watch a lot of tripe. Anyway, may I borrow your true seeing glass? Someone's taken boomslang skin and last time that happened it was Barty Crouch Junior. I'm planning on prowling around with a flitgun full of mandragora potion to restore the culprit to their true form."

"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get us" said Romulus "And with someone as unscrupulous as that Dawlish fellow you gotta worry!"

oOoOo

Meliandra Bulstrode was behaving oddly on Friday, Gorbrin thought.

He had approached her after lunch to ask if she would lend him the book she promised for the weekend and she quite shrank back from him as if in loathing and said,

"What book? I haven't got any library books out."

"The fiction book you said you'd lend me" said Gorbrin. Bulsrode gave a frantic little laugh.

"Oh, I haven't got it to hand right now" she said "It's – it's in the boxroom. Besides, who reads at the weekend? What – what are you and Erica doing?"

"Reading" said Gorbrin, who knew full well that Meliandra had to be prised out of a book for anything short of Quidditch. "And a bit of quaffle practise, want to join in?"

"Are you – no, thanks I don't feel like it".

Gorbrin went back inside – the first had, in common with most other people been lounging around during the lunch break out on the meadows by the castle – and headed for the first year Slytherin girls bedroom.

Meliandra Bulstrode was here too, three parts unconscious.

Gorbrin could not lift her; she was a chunky girl and he was slight as were all goblins, so he went and got a glass of water, half raised her and poured some water into her mouth.

She moaned, but drank.

"That's it, good girl" said Gorbrin "Try and get up; dammit, how am I to get you to sickbay?"

"Do I hear a male voice in the girls' dorm?" It was the dangerously silky tones of Professor Snape.

"Yessir! Help!" said Gorbrin, who never even contemplated the fact that he was where he was forbidden to be.

Severus took one look at Meliandra and picked her up.

"Come with me" he ordered.

Shortly thereafter, Meliandra was being given an antidote and was coming round.

"Why did you go into the girls' dorm, Malfoy?" demanded Severus.

"To see if I could find any clues or if she was there tied up or something" said Gorbrin.

"Had you any reason to think she might be?" demanded Severus.

"Well, it was partly a hunch because the Meliandra Bulstrode I was talking to outside wasn't much like her in mannerisms and had forgotten the book she promised to lend me" said Gorbrin "And she was acting like she found goblins disgusting – or maybe just me – and Bulstrode doesn't care. And the person who WASN'T Bulstrode was scathing about the idea of reading at the weekend, well sir, you know as well as I do that Bulstrode always has her nose in a book, even more than Erica and me. And she also turned down quaffle practice so I figured, as you'd had boomslang skin nicked – and I know that's for polyjuice potion, 'cos I looked it up after you mentioned it – that it was a false Bulstrode. And I'm sorry I guess I should have kept an eye on who did it but I was more concerned with Bulstrode's safely."

"Quite right young Malfoy" said Severus. "Miss Bulstrode, are you feeling better?"

"Yes sir, thank you. I say, Malfoy, that was a nice piece of deductive work, even without reading any books!"

Gorbrin flushed.

"Thanks. I tried to think the way you described."

"Miss Bulstrode, can you throw any light upon who did this?" asked Severus.

"If I do sir, I'll be sneaking" said Meliandra "I despise sneaks. Besides, it's only surmise as in who handed me a drink that then made me woozy."

"Bulstrode can tell me sir and we can watch whoever it was and try to get them to own up!" said Gorbrin enthusiastically.

Severus smiled, but sighed.

"Somehow I think that a person who has so little honour that they use a sleeping draft to immobilise the one whose place they plan to take may just lack the honour to own up just because you urge them to do so" he said. "Tell me, child, when did you take this drink?"

"At break sir" said Meliandra.

Severus purred.

"Then I shall ask each of the professors teaching in that period who was missing from class" he said. "Gorbrin, was anyone missing from transfigurations?"

Gorbrin thought about this.

"No sir" he said. "even during the excitement."

"Excitement?" said Severus heavily.

"Well…. Erica gave Erasmus Bobbin a carapace and extra legs – on account of full human transfiguration being dangerous – and claimed she misheard about it being buttons turned into beetles" said Gorbrin grinning. "McGonagall – uh, Madam McGonagall set her a massive impot to miss quidditch this afternoon but Erica doesn't care that much for quidditch and reckoned it was worth every minute."

"Hmm, Erasmus Beetle; sounds like something out of AA Milne" said Severus "Well as she deliberately did NOT go for a full transfiguration – does Madam McGonagall know?"

"Yes, Erica told her when she was shouting" said Gorbrin "Professor McGonagall shouting, that is. Erica's writing an essay on human transfiguration to remind her not to try it again so she'll learn heaps for when she does want to er, maybe I'm digging a hole here."

"Maybe you are" said Severus. "No-one was missing; that's the main thing. I hardly think the lordly sixth, or even the fifth would have anyone in their ranks wishing to impersonate a weevil; the fourth have three elective choices, History, geomancy or astronomy; the third are with me for potions and I can say without fear of contradiction that I'm afraid they were all only too present in full and mediocre existence. Ah. And the second have Care of Magical beasts. Now I begin to see a light. You children may go as soon as you are fully recovered, Miss Bulstrode."

They took the heavy hint and left.

"Crumbs" said Gorbrin "It's not like Hagrid would notice if half the class nipped off into Hogsmeade for an ice cream, is it!"

"AND she knows that" said Meliandra bitterly "It was Priscilla Parkinson; and she said if I sneaked she'd tell everyone she saw me snogging you."

"What at our age?" said Gorbrin "Who'd believe such rubbish? I know you'd not be loose lipped even if you were old enough. And so does anyone else who counts."

"SHE thinks I ought to die of shame for kissing a goblin" said Meliandra scornfully. "well, may as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb; and you rescued me, so here goes" and she planted a kiss on Gorbrin's cheek.

He blushed furiously, then gave her a shy grin.

"That doesn't mean I'm pregnant does it?" he teased.

Meliandra actually laughed, a deep rather pleasant laugh.

"You know, Gorbrin, you're actually all right" she said.

"I always thought you'd be all right if you forgot to be spoilt" said Gorbrin.

"I guess school's a bit of a rude awakening" said Meliandra. "Madam Malfoy – your other mum – was quite right, I was being babyish, I was awfully ashamed. Mum and dad only have me you see; and, well, I get pretty much everything I want. And – well, I suppose I've been adjusting. And seeing other spoilt brats, like Zabini, well I haven't liked what I saw. So I'd rather be like you and Erica I suppose, if it's not too late. I don't really know how to join in things; except quidditch because it's organised"

"Yes and if we don't organise ourselves we'll be late" said Gorbrin "But of COURSE it's not too late to join in with us! We'll be glad to have you – specially me, 'cos Erica's special friends with Clem and Jazzy, but I'm only her brother. And Ming's nice but really a bit too suddenly for my liking."

Meliandra laughed again.

"Yes, 'Suddenly' makes an excellent description of him!" she agreed!

oOoOo

Severus set a potion for the fifth to be getting on with, by dint of leaving instructions on the blackboard with a wave of his wand; and went to speak to Hagrid without anticipating much luck.

Hagrid was a little nervous when Severus came down to the cottage he was modifying.

"How d'yer do, Severus, butterbeer?" he said.

"Thank you; why not" said Severus. "I need to ask you something, Hagrid."

Hagrid looked worried.

"Alice ain't havin' any problems is she?" he asked.

"Alice? Trumball or Weasley?"

"Trumball. On account o' her an' me…." Hagrid flushed.

Severus blinked.

"Three professors in one year? No wonder Albus is looking frazzled with Dione, Willow AND Alice. Congratulations; she's a sensible girl, you couldn't ask for a better one I suspect."

Hagrid brightened.

"I'm enlarging the cottage so we can have more room!" he said.

"Excellent; you'll be able to give Mischa and any brothers he has their own room at the same time I imagine, and space for any daughters as they come along too" said Severus, noting that Hagrid's enlargements were not as yet very ambitious. "But I'm afraid I wasn't here to discuss architecture or marital bliss; do you recall if any of your second years were missing in the period following break?"

Hagrid frowned in concentration.

"Now I'd not have noticed if you'd not mentioned it, but now you say ar, there was. That sour toffee-nosed girl with the voice like a corncrake, she wasn't there" he said "Nice and quiet it was; she's one as allus has what she thinks is a wisecrack, like young Draco used to afore he got to be such a nice boy. Parkinson, aint't she?"

"She is" said Severus who had had no difficulty recognising Priscilla Parkinson from Hagrid's description. "My thanks, Rubeus; she's been using polyjuice potion and poisoning a first year to take her place."

"Well I'm not surprised about anything SHE does" said Hagrid. "When you've finished with her I can set her a detention fer truanting out o' my class!"

"I'll pass that on with great pleasure" said Severus. "Miss Parkinson is about to be unhappy."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"Miss Parkinson" said Severus in his most dangerous silkiest voice "I have a little mystery to relate to you. No, you need not interrupt. It concerns a weevil named Bulstrode who was simultaneously in lessons and then outside after lunch and yet also indoors unconscious on her bed, whence I retrieved and revived her. Now, Miss Bulstrode was loath to impart the information of how she came to be in such a state but since I had missed boomslang skin already I had a fairly good idea. The next stage was simple; to ask any teachers who was missing from their classes. And Professor Hagrid was such a teacher, and pleasurable though your absence undoubtedly was to him, you will nevertheless, when I have finished with you, be undertaking a detention with him for truancy. Gathering acromantula venom at midnight or something I expect. Professor Hagrid likes spiders – you do not? But you have no phobia, I believe, yes I know about the rubber spiders and how Miss Prince very properly found out that you do NOT have a phobia before being dismissive of your complaint. I, you see, read the prefects' weekly reports and you made it official so it appeared there…. However, that is something for you to dwell upon in the future. Let us return to the misdeeds leading to your truancy. First; theft. You said something? Are you going to deny stealing boomslang skin?"

"Yes" said Parkinson.

"Strange. Nobody else was missing from class. Let us get your cauldron out of the locker and I will see what potions were last brewed in it" said Severus moving over to the second year cauldron lockers.

"All right! I took it, but that's not stealing, is it?"

"What is taking with intent to permanently deprive – for once used it cannot be given back – but stealing?" Severus' eyes glittered dangerously. "Very well, we have established you as a nasty common little thief. You have also brewed a sleeping draft – which you must have got out of a book – and left your victim sleeping. Sleeping drafts are tricky at the best of times; and you are fortunate that I found her and had an antidote. The administration of sleeping drafts by an untrained hand resulting in death are counted as murder, Miss Parkinson. You may wish to think hard about that."

"I didn't brew it! I bought it!" said Parkinson in a panic.

"Indeed? Selling sleeping drafts to a minor is an offence; so your source must have been dodgy. You do not know WHAT might have been in there; and as you knowingly administered the dose of which you had little knowledge the same rule applies" said Severus, utterly appalled. "Perhaps one should be glad that you did not try your own amateur hand…you will furnish me with the whereabouts of this perfidious potion peddler presently." He paused to enjoy the symmetry of the alliteration before continuing "So. You are a thief and almost a poisoner. What I wish to establish is, why? What was your purpose in this nefarious activity?"

His eyes bored into her.

"I – I just wanted to find a way to get back at Gorbrin Malfoy and Erica!" she said.

"For what?"

"He got me into trouble with Prince and he's in with those mini marauders or whatever they call themselves!" she said "Secret organisations like that ought to be banned in schools and the sort who belong to them expelled!"

"Indeed? Hmmm, last time I heard THAT view promulgated it was by Dolores Jane Umbridge, supposed teacher of defence against the dark arts who turned out to be a deatheater" said Severus. "Well, edifying as it may be to hear your views of an organisation those of us who are retired members hold dear, I have to disappoint you. The Malfoy children are not a part of it, indeed the mini marauders consider them boringly swotty."

Parkinson stared.

Surely Professor Snape had never been a marauder?

"Let us sum this up" said Professor Snape in a voice that made her shiver despite the hot summer's day "You wished to spy on the Malfoy children because…let me see if I can divine your real reasons….because a goblin has no right to be richer than you, because he's an honest boy and you despise that; somehow I don't see him sneaking to Prince, I suspect that if he 'got you into trouble' it was more likely that Prince caught you trying to jinx him or something….you've not got a great record for truthfulness, Miss Parkinson. And what other reasons…maybe because he's fairly popular with his peer group and you are not? Now, why pick on Miss Bulstrode I wonder…. Was it because she saw through your specious arguments when she was temporarily in your gang? Yes I think it was. You are a sickening creature Miss Parkinson, with a loathsome disregard for the safety of others. You are a racist. What am I to do with a racist thieving would-be poisoner I wonder!"

Parkinson actually sobbed in terror; the scorn in his eyes and the scathing tone were frightening.

"I only wanted to pay him back and his sister for sticking up for him!" she cried.

"But there doesn't appear to be anything substantial to pay the boy back for – if there had been I might have been more lenient!" said Severus. "I don't understand you Miss Parkinson. So far as I can gather you have a perfectly happy home life; no reason to attack others without provocation. Your cousin was moderately poisonous too as I recall, though somewhat less efficient at villainy than yourself, being merely an overstuffed overdressed ball of malice. However, that is neither her nor there. I will be writing to your father for the cost of the materials that you stole; it is his business to settle your debts; what punishment you receive from him for such an embarrassment I have no jurisdiction over. For the rest, you will write a full apology to Miss Bulstrode for poisoning her; and you will also write for me nine inches on sleeping drafts and their pitfalls. Furthermore you will demonstrate for one week your untrusworthiness" and he waved his wand. Parkinson's hand went to her head where she felt something happen. "It says 'thief'" said Severus coldly "It is ridicule you dislike most; so ridicule shall be your major punishment. And at that I am lenient. For the possible effects upon Miss Bulstrode I could ask the Head to expel you. Now go about your business; I shall see you after school to begin your detention, and I shall speak with Professor Hagrid to see what imposition he wishes to place upon you; so that we may co-ordinate our efforts in our instruction and correction of your degenerate behaviour. Now go!"

Parkinson fled sobbing.

oOoOo

Parkinson was a girl of some resource, a great deal of boldness and very little regard for the truth.

She took herself to sick bay and told Madam Pomfrey that some rotten kid had jinxed her and asked her to take the jinx off.

Madam Pomfrey was shocked; it was a serious accusation to make, to call someone a thief. Jinxes of a like nature had come her way before, generally reading 'sneak' or 'liar' or 'creep'.

Her wand however was unable to deal with the problem and she called on Parkinson to wait a short while.

She returned triumphantly with Professor Snape whose eyes narrowed.

Parkinson whinnied with terror.

"She told you, categorically, Poppy, that she had been jinxed by another child, you said" said Severus softly "She is a liar as well as a thief. She has been stealing from the school and from her fellows by stealing potion ingredients. I sentenced her to wear this mark for a week. And now she is so contumelious as to go to another member of staff and lie – a gross piece of impertinence – to avoid a set punishment. I think, Miss Parkinson, the world needs to know more of your perfidy."

Parkinson just knew that the word that spread across her cheeks and nose was going to be 'liar' and she burst into serious tears. Severus regarded her coldly.

"Is – isn't it a little harsh, Severus?" asked Poppy Pomfrey hesitantly.

"Depends whether you consider it merely for the stealing or also for the near murder of a first year" said Severus. "Personally I take it as an affront if anyone but I poison my pupils and I generally wait until the fourth year to give them some chance of competency in brewing appropriate antidotes. By rights she should be expelled; call me soft hearted if you like, but I thought I would give her a second chance."

"That does put a rather different complexion on it" said Madam Pomfrey wondering how anyone might call Severus soft hearted. "But – but did she intend to harm the other child?"

"It is her callous disregard for what might occur that I find particularly loathsome" said Severus "The failure to think of consequences, such as, for example, tricking a child into finding Professor Lupin during a moment of furry little problem before he was cured, without potion to stabilise him….she bought a potion labelled as sleeping potion from a street vendor. The child to whom she administered it was in something of a coma. I think she might have survived without an antidote, but her breathing was stertorous and she might have breathed in her own sputum and drowned on it even if the potion had failed to kill her. This wretched brat seems to care nothing for the consequences of her actions; I am hoping that wearing a few derogatory words for a week might chasten her to a point where she engages the few brain cells she appears to possess. I avoided putting 'poisoner' on her; I thought THAT over harsh. One can live down being a thief, eventually. I hope" he sighed "That it will have some effect. Miss Parkinson, you are not unwell, but if you continue to sob in that hysterical fashion Madam Pomfrey will be forced to issue you with glumbumble juice before you go down to supper. And go to supper you will; as you will go to class every day. If necessary with a prefect to take you like an untrustworthy child. But then, you are rather an untrustworthy child, aren't you?"

The next week was terrible for Priscilla Parkinson; though after the first glance, few people actually took much notice of her facial adornment she felt they were staring all the time.

Meliandra had received her written apology – a rather ungracious one – with a curt nod; and the research into the things that can happen with sleeping drafts was long and hard.

On top of that Hagrid had, on Severus' suggestion, had her caring for the blast-ended Pekes and she had been mildly scorched by the one who still farted fire.

Fang was terrified of them still.

oOoOo

Severus meanwhile called for volunteers of reliable juniors to help him inventory the potion dungeon and make sure the depredation of the stores had been only minimal. It gave him a chance to get to know the keener elements of the first and second before they came to him in the third for their potions lessons; and it was always useful to know who was keen, even if not necessarily GOOD. The Malfoys – Gryffindor and Slytherin alike – came of course, bringing all their friends, and sundry others came too.

With so many extra hands and a few who could be relied on to take neat and accurate notes like Lydia and Julia the inventory was finished in double quick time even with the necessity to be sufficiently on the ball to remove powdered dragon's hearts firmly from the overly enthusiastic hands of Mad Lockhart.

Two of the helpers were first year Hufflepuffs, no great luminaries of potioneering but always eager to help teachers and convinced that scarred and brooding-looking Professor Snape had a deep dark romantic secret; the which they speculated over, giggling, and providing themselves with hours of mostly harmless fun.

Unfortunately the pair were strangers to the concept of tact; and were as imbued with the casual racism of the wizarding world as any who would describe themselves as fair decent folk who respected the rights of others.

Meliandra had been pairing off with Gorbrin since he had rescued her; and though Severus had not actually mentioned to either child that his intervention might have even saved her life, Meliandra had enough instincts to realise that she had been more heavily asleep than was healthy and was duly grateful. Besides, they discovered a lot in common; Gorbrin loved the auror whodunnits that Meliandra read, and enjoyed as she did brisk walks. Meliandra also rode and danced, skills Gorbrin was coming to grips with in the holidays; and she patiently danced with him to improve his skills. They were also starting to write their own whodunnit novel together, set in school with their hero and heroine the twin children of an auror. They could not agree over whether to have a hero or a heroine and so had compromised; besides, as Gorbrin pointed out, it meant one could drop clues in the conversations between Lucia and Severo as they had called their twins. Severus was a pet hero of both of them, and the girl twin had been Dracia for a short while but it seemed unwieldy; and Lucius WAS Draco's father after all. They compromised by calling the children's father Draxon Potter.

All of which had made it obvious that Gorbrin and Meliandra were friends; a cause for giggle between the Hufflepuffs, Porphyria Martin and Deborah Summerby. They were a striking looking pair; Porphyria was a black girl almost as dark as the Moorcrofts; and Deborah was very pale with lustrous long dark hair and black eyes.

"Melly has a sweetheart" giggled Deborah.

"Poor Melly, are you so plain you have to go out with a goblin?" giggled Porphyria.

Meliandra flushed a dull flush.

"Why don't you go splinch yourselves?" she said.

"Yeah" said Gorbrin "You're so fond of how striking you look together, reckon everyone would stare if you splinch yourselves half and half to each other."

The hufflepuff girls giggled.

"OOOH, Melly's blushing, hit the truth there, did we?" said Deborah.

Gorbrin's eyes narrowed.

He had learned one or two useful things from Draco in the holidays; and he pointed his wand.

"_Avocado Kedavra!"_ he said; and in a flash of green light both girls were the same sickly green that was striking, but not attractive.

Meliandra giggled; partly in relief and partly at the looks on the girls' faces.

"I thought that was going to be something different for a horrid moment" she said.

"What do you mean?" said Gorbrin.

"Well you know; Avada Kedavra, the killing curse, one of the three forbidden curses" said Meliandra.

And then Gorbrin was vomiting, driven to his knees, uncontrollably emptying his stomach on the floor outside the dungeon.

Meliandra knelt beside him and put a tentative arm round him.

"Gorbrin?"

"That's what killed my dad…. The flash of green light, it was this killing curse!"

The green hufflepuffs stared in consternation, then Deborah ran back for Professor Snape.

Severus was there in a moment.

"Gorbrin?"

"He – they were being rude so Gorbrin cast something that turned them green and it sounded a bit like Avada Kedavra" said Meliandra "And I – I said I was glad it wasn't; and then he started throwing up and said it was what had killed his dad."

"Really, Draco is a blithering idiot at times" said Severus irritably "Too much of his mother in him….meant well of course, it's an excellent corridor curse is Avocado Kedavra….just taught him a list of handy ones I suppose without thinking" he too was kneeling by Gorbrin who was now heaving dry with tears running down his face. Severus looked up at the Hufflepuff pair. "If I cancel the green will you be tolerant this once if I let him off?" he asked harshly.

Porphyria nodded, big eyed.

"We WERE teasing them a bit" admitted Deborah "I guess it was our fault we got jinxed….did his dad really get murdered by the killing curse? I've heard of it….. isn't it the worst spell anyone can cast?"

"Yes; and he saw it happen; and yes it is accounted the worst spell anyone can cast" said Severus, restoring their usual shades with a negligent flip of the hand – which had he but known it added even more to his romantic credibility – and cuddled Gorbrin. "Should I send for Lucius?" he asked the boy.

Gorbrin shook his head.

"Sorry sir" he gasped "I – I just realised when Mel said…. And the green flash…. Why did Draco….?"

"Draco developed Avocado Kedavra on a similar formula to the killing curse to have a harmless spell against which we might practise counters to the killing curse itself" said Severus softly "And for a while after we defeated Voldemort it was a popular corridor curse as a way of letting off steam. It wasn't a mocker though if that's what you were thinking; it had a serious purpose and enabled us to develop a sure and certain defence; the spell _speculum_ a mirror which reflects back any spell cast. It needs speed; but we all trained to be fast, to cast non verbally – which is quicker – to have a mirror up before the enemy had pronounced the words. You girls, I don't know your names, can you go to the kitchen and ask an elf to come and deal with this please? Remember to be polite."

"Please sir, where's the kitchen?" said Porphyria.

"You haven't found it yet for snacks and goodies? Good grief, weevils get laxer every year even over treats!" said Severus. "One flight down from the entrance hall, broad stone corridor, on the left is a still life of fruit; tickle the pear. It opens the kitchen door when it giggles. Well GO!" as they stood half disbelieving.

"Draco told me that too" said Gorbrin.

"And nobody explained about Avada Kedavra because your testimony was to be pure and unadulterated" said Severus. "However, since Samuel Block attempted to have Erica kidnapped and took Pearl Brocklehurst instead I don't think it's going to take the Wizgamot a lot to realise that he must have something to be desperate over; and I doubt you'll even have to testify, lad. Come on: I'll take you to the sickbay." He lifted Gorbrin effortlessly.

"Oh sir, I don't need to go to sick bay!" said Gorbrin dismayed. "I – I'm not going to be sick any more, I'm sorry I was, I can clear it up myself to save trouble!"

"Well, if you don't want to go to sick bay, you're coming to my office to be quiet for the afternoon. Would you like Meliandra along or do you want to be alone?"

"I think I'd like her to come if she will" said Gorbrin.

"Of course I will!" said Meliandra.

"You'll want to clean your teeth and have a warm drink" said Severus absently summoning a toothbrush as he put the boy down on the settee "Bathroom through the door or do you want a bowl?"

"I'm fine, thanks" said Gorbrin, feeling slightly ashamed of causing such a fuss. Severus touched his shoulder lightly.

"Seeing anyone killed is not to be taken lightly. And someone close is even worse. Don't feel guilty, lad; we are here to help to take the load from you. Harry was still having nightmares ten years after HIS parents died under Adava Kedavra. Even though he was only one at the time and could not even clearly remember his parents. I shall tell Draco he's a clumsy clot."

"Oh please don't sir! He wanted me to have wand work that would demonstrate ability but I wanted things that wouldn't seriously hurt people and making people green seemed splendid! Only – only I don't know if I can ever use it again."

"You can always think on it as a memorial to your father; a spell made as a move in the fight against the use of the killing curse" said Severus. "But if you don't ever use it again, at least you can know that those who did, used it to learn to save some lives even if your father's was not among them. It was definitely unforgivable for a ministry official to use it; and that's why he's been trying to keep the story secret. You see, for a while, Voldemort effectively ran the ministry. We had to let him because we had to get the timing right to cut them all down together. And the weak ones, the greedy ones in the ministry, they actually revelled in a deatheater based ministry; and after it was over and we imposed a new government on the wizarding world demanding more fairness, not only did it take time to filter down – it still hasn't entirely to some people – but Block forgot. He just treated a group of goblins in a way the deatheater masters of the ministry would approve of. And then he realised the new government might take a dim view; and so he covered it up. It comes to trial next week actually; and we've not received a subpoena for you to attend so I imagine they do not need you. I'll make some cocoa then I'll leave you two alone" he added gently.

oOoOo

Prompted by Meliandra Gorbrin told her his story.

She was appalled. Not only by what had happened but by the levels of poverty he described in so offhand a way.

"Gorbrin, I – I need to see for myself" she said "Will you show me?"

"If you want" said Gorbrin "But you better learn some self defence in MSHG first. Then you can stay with us in the hols if you like and we can go look around. I say, Mel, those Huffers upset you rather a lot with their daft comments didn't they?"

Meliandra shrugged.

"I know I'm plain; it's just hurtful when people say it out loud" she said.

"Well I think you have a strong face and lovely eyes" said Gorbrin. "I guess if you wanted to change your face, Erica could do it with her drawing; but you know, I think it's your hair that makes it look a little square; I dunno much about how to make it softer but I know I'm better looking with a Malfoy hairstyle all brushed back than with the fringe I used to have. It was messy for a while until Lucius figured out what I was doing and grew it in a hurry; it kinda makes my nose less long because you follow it back… d'you see what I'm saying? Style makes a difference."

Meliandra brightened.

"Do you think so? I say, do you think Willow Prince might know what to do? She always has a bad hair day until she's fully awake, then she brushes it back and it crackles a bit and settles down to looking….well, Willowish."

"And only Willow could wear her hair looking like a storm's hit it and get away with looking fantastic" said Gorbrin. "It doesn't matter to your friends, you know; it's your brains that count, but I do agree it's good to look your best.."

The upshot of which was that they sought out Krait instead of Willow for advice, which took Gorbrin out of himself too; and Meliandra went back to school with her hair cut in soft wisps onto her face which softened it no end.

oOoOo

Dione had discussed with Severus what to name the son she was expecting; and Severus suggested that as everyone and his kid brother was going to be using the name 'Harry' he would like to have a son named Remus Sirius after fellow marauders. Dione liked this idea as also this meant that Romulus, who had been very decent about the whole matter, would have a brother whose name went together with his. She mentioned what she would call her son to Willow, and had not noticed that the Ravenclaw girls were listening in. This was a recipe for that had only been rumour to become gossip.

What Dione had not thought about – any more than Severus had – was that several people put together the names Remus and Romulus and made Romulus the father.

Geoffrey Stroulger made a formal complaint to the Head that Romulus Snape was allowed to marry, carry on, and have his wife – if indeed she really was his wife – be pregnant at school just because his father was head of house.

Dumbledore blinked.

"I don't believe Romulus has a wife" he said "His girlfriend is a little young as yet."

"Well then she's a scarlet woman to be having a baby!" said Stroulger who would not have even noticed had not the Ravenclaw girls been gossiping about the matter.

Dumbledore looked more confused.

"It's news to me that Senagra is with child" he said mildly.

"Eh? No, Parnassus!"

"Dione Parnassus? Whatever gives you the idea that the baby is Rom Snape's?" said Dumbledore.

"Well, she's called it Remus, hasn't she?" said Stroulger.

Dumbledore laughed and laughed.

Stroulger looked confused.

"My dear boy" said Dumbledore "No wonder you're so bad at transfigurations! That's the sort of reasoning that transforms a Guinea Fowl into a Foul smell! Dear me, most amusing! But so very, very wrong! Dione's husband named the baby to honour two staunch fighters against evil. Dear me, Mr Stroulger, what a good job you came to chat to me informally, how foolish you would have looked if you had spread such a story around."

Stroulger was horrified as he was ushered firmly out before he started to ask impertinent questions; because he had spread it around.

Unsurprisingly, he had irritated Senagra for casting aspersions on her boyfriend and as Stroulger issued from Dumbledore's office he was hit simultaneously by the jelly-legs jinx, the furnunculus curse and avocado kedavra, that Senagra combined in an unholy union, leaving him green and covered in tiny tentacles.

He remained there until Argus Filch found him and sent for Abraxus to rescue him, since Dumbledore was busy pacifying the portraits over girls being with child in school.

"Wouldn't have happened in MY time" said Phineas Nigellus.

Everard was nodding agreement.

"Yes, your staff were such STUFFY creatures" piped up Dilys Derwent, a head from the more robust days of the mid eighteenth century "in sooth it seems to me that they may have trouble – what is the phrase they use now – getting it on with women."

Phineas Nigellus spluttered and Dilys winked at Dumbledore and shook her long silver ringlets.

"Such a handsome, brooding boy Severus Snape" she whispered "I could just see him with lace at throat and wrists, sword at his side, a true swashbuckler! And Sirius Black the same…tell them they're BAD men, Albus!"

"Oh I will!" laughed Dumbeldore who knew fine well that more enveloping robes in the days of Phineas Nigellus had covered a multitude of sins.

It was a summer for babies.

Gorbrin received an owl from home; and positively yelled with joy!

"Hey everyone, I have a baby brother and mum and Stepdad have called him Cosmo after the first half goblin in Hogwarts!" he shared his news at the top of his lungs.

The Marauders whooped and hollered and cheered.

Cosmo Malfoy the first was a particular hero of theirs and his picture hung to advise them in the marauder secret room.

"A new generation of Marauders!" called Hawke. "Good on Lucius! Well done Madam Tanjela Malfoy! Marauders forever!"

Dumbledore laughed and held his ears.

"Boys and Girls! They'll hear you in London and wonder if we've started a rebellion up her!" he laughed.

"We did that a long time ago" Abraxus muttered to Kinat "Only it was too quiet for anyone to notice!"

oOoOo

Willow produced the next sensation.

She was concealing her rapidly expanding belly with revulsion spells so people looked right over her body.

She sat in her potions lesson brewing the draft of living death with the rest; said

"DAMN" loudly and left the room in a hurry.

The bloodgroup knew why, though she shielded them from her labour pangs as she headed for Sirius' room.

When Sirius got there she was curled up on a pile of his robes in the wardrobe, sniffing his shirt, purring firmly for comfort.

Sirius licked her nose; it seemed like a proper thing to do.

The labour was short and easy, largely because the twins were not large, and Krait only barely got there in time to midwife for Willow.

"Are they supposed to be that small?" said Sirius, doubtfully.

The babies were about four pounds each and did not seem any the worse for it.

"Small but perfectly formed" said Krait checking them out. "They'll make up weight quickly enough; you're seven and a half months, seven month babies often do better than eight month ones. Perfectly healthy; no need for St Mungo's."

Sirius was more inclined to trust Krait's opinion than that of a trained healer; so he and Willow changed form to wash the babies thoroughly in an appropriately doggy and catty way and Willow devoured the afterbirth.

"_**My robes are going to need washing"**_ said Sirius ruefully using their mental communication.

"_**Kreacher and Tolly won't mind"**_ said Willow philosophically, washing herself delicately and seriously, growling a little at the soreness.

Sirius changed back.

"Might be a good idea to remind them that they're human" he said.

Willow joined him in human form.

"What are we going to name them?"

"I – I'd like to call the boy Regulus after my brother. He should be honoured for trying to destroy the horcrux; and it'll please Kreacher" said Sirius.

"Then his sister's name is obvious" said Willow.

"It is?"

"Of course. The star Regulus is in the constellation of Leo; it is Alpha Leonis. And Beta Leonis has a name too, it's Denebola. So that's her name sorted out according to the tradition of the Noble and Ancient House of Black."

Sirius looked at her suspiciously.

"Are you taking the mickey?"

"No love; I know that however much you rail at your family it's a part of your life, your core being; and as head of the family you can forge new traditions to replace the bad ones, but hold onto those that are either good or harmless. I'm happy with that; I love cousin Severus to bits but I'm not really a Prince deep at heart. So I'll make a career of being Madam Black and irritating your mother whenever I can."

"Sounds good to me" said Sirius contentedly as Regulus and Denebola suckled contentedly unaware that they were a pair of little stars – at least so far as their proud parents were concerned!


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Gorbrin and Erica felt that they almost had to break out in mischief over the birth of Cosmo and accordingly ran all of Abraxus' and Hawke's underwear up the flagpole.

The first turned out and ceremonially saluted it.

Abraxus hadn't the heart to set lines; but Hawke was made of sterner stuff and demanded an impot of ten lines of 'treating the property of my head boy and house head with respect does not involve running it up the flagpole and saluting it' because when it came to the crunch he was stumped over any appropriate poem to set them.

oOoOo

And then the exams were upon them; OWLs first for Lionel Dell and his age group, to be followed immediately by the NEWTs.

Lionel was taking ten OWLs; the five compulsory ones of course, Transfigurations, Charms, Potions, Defence against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Beasts; in addition he was taking Enchanting, Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, History of Magic and Ancient Runes. Callum was taking as his electives Herbology, Comparative Magic, Divination – hardly surprisingly – and Astronomy, which went with it. Cynner, Melody, Mary-Anne, Alice, Tim and Tamsin were all taking Herbology, Geomancy and Muggle Studies, Cynner taking Arithmancy and Ancient Runes in addition, Melody taking Ancient Runes, Tim and Tamsin taking Divination for fun and Mary-Anne Comparative Magic. Alice was content with eight and preferred trying for eight good grades than maybe getting nine poor ones and perhaps even failing one.

Lionel was really looking forward now to his Potions exam; he had come on far enough with the understanding of Chemistry and a little remedial work from Severus that he had every hope of making a good grade. Having some good potioneers in his blood group too boosted the instincts that were low in him.

When they had to brew the Draught of Peace he was fairly confident. Severus had likened his first attempt to being more like the dogs of war than the Draught of Peace, but Lionel had begged time to repeat it and had succeeded more or less.

He was at least no less of a chance than anyone else in his class, save those who were really good at potions like Callum or Tim or Alice or Ivy Underwood a serious Gryffindor girl, and Ralph Davenport of Slytherin. There was a Ravenclaw boy too who did well; but Lionel hardly counted him.

The other exams went well; Cynner declared the Arithmancy paper 'a breeze' which did not upset Lionel too much – he had needed to work quite hard – since Cynner was as much a natural at Arithmancy as Callum was at Divination. And Callum took the Divination paper seriously; and Tim and Tamsin made up what they could not remember, giggling much over the answers they had given, Tim having declared solemnly that because of the juxtapositions of Saturn and Mars the chocolate in chocolate frogs made that month would be particularly rich and creamy.

Callum had to confess himself stumped in the practical however; he had sudden, unexpected visions that came unlooked for and only expressed themselves through drawings while, essentially, his conscious mind was absent. Crystal ball work was beyond him. He had sat before the exam with pad and pencil hoping to doodle something to give him an idea but only ended up sketching cartoons of quidditch players. He shrugged as he sat down at the crystal ball and informed the examiner that with the number of penalties he was seeing, only a fool would put money on the Wimbourne Wasps next season.

Tim came up with a giant invasion from Poland and Tamsin decided to copy Krait's efforts, of which she had heard from Melody, and spoke about sinister wizards in black and silver robes speaking a foreign language and grinding all beneath their feet.

Tamsin enjoyed amateur dramatics and made her voice hoarse and breathy and let her eyes stare into nothing. The examiner was impressed, especially when Tamsin shuddered, peered closely and said,

"Oh dear, I'm sorry sir, I don't seem able to get anywhere. I – I feel a little faint…"

Lionel praised her for that effort and Tim said

"Damn! Wish I'd thought of that!"

History of Magic was a slightly less biased paper this year; the viewpoints of the goblins were getting across, and one question was 'discuss with illustrations where possible the state of mind of Eargit the Ugly over the decisions of the Wizards' Council in 1373' which called for some speculation but based on an extant and impassioned speech taken down by an enterprising young wizard when Eargit, the Goblin Representative to the Council complained that his position on the council was nothing but a sham and there for a token nod to Goblinkind.

Lionel happened to agree with Eargit and argued for his indignation over a perceived betrayal when he had believed his appointment would really mean changes. Lionel also argued that Eargit was probably very young at the time to get so heated and to have been so naïve in the first place.

"Although it is easy to look back in an atmosphere of relative political sophistication, where nobody who is old enough to spell 'government' does not look twice at their motives, it would appear that Eargit was operating under the triumph of hope over experience; and when that hope crumbled, so too did his verbal self control" he wrote.

Lionel thought the rest of the exams reasonable; and was glad to get them over.

oOoOo

The head of the examinations board shook Abraxus' hand, as Head Boy, and said laughingly that there were so many people taking five or more NEWTs this year, and all of them taking DADA and most including Potions, Charms and Transfigurations that he assumed there would be an influx of those for auror training.

"There are much worse ambitions to have sir" said Abraxus.

"And how many NEWTs are you taking, Mr Malfoy?" asked the examiner.

"Oh only six sir" said Abraxus "My twin is cleverer than me."

The examining board were not used to people who considered six NEWTs 'only' and laughed nervously.

"Are you planning on being an auror?" persisted the chief examiner.

"Not at first anyway sir" said Abraxus "I have a more important job already offered to me."

"And what can that be?"

"Teaching in the first free school. Nothing is more important than inflaming young minds with a thirst for knowledge and educating those with deserving brains to a level concomitant with their ability whilst seeing that their less clever fellows have their bellies filled as full as they need to be and their minds filled as full as they can be".

The board was silenced by that.

Abraxus had touched on too many uncomfortable truths, like poverty, hunger and ignorance among the greater number of the population, for the examiners to feel entirely sure what to say.

It was a clever year however and the examiners were awed to be testing fifteen young people who were taking five NEWTs or more, and three or four more taking four. The efforts of the marauders and associates had in fact lifted the expectations and the quality of the whole class of those who had remained after OWLs. It is true that five of the year felt the pressures too great to continue to NEWTs; three Hufflepuffs – no real surprise – Fish, the near squib who was overjoyed to leave school with seven good OWLs a few at 'E' grade and Gilroy Derwent whom nobody missed. Fish had gone to work for Grutch, Ellie's father, who was now the personal financial advisor to the Snapes, where he undertook routine office work with cheerfulness and great conscientiousness.

oOoOo

The first exam was potions, and the examiner seemed a little taken aback to be confronted by a relatively crowded dungeon of fifteen pupils. He was used to six or seven at most. The previous year had been full enough with a dozen!

The potion was the elixir to induce euphoria.

This was a gift to those who had studied Severus' personal notes since they were able to add to their potion, and mention in their notes, that the addition of peppermint counteracted the occasional side effects of singing and nose tweaking. Soon most cauldrons had the characteristic sunshine yellow potion in it, the cauldrons of John, Esther, Emma and Tony less bright than the others. Even Dione's was bright and clear, following the instructions of her beloved Severus and now at last enjoying potions classes!

Tony Duthridge was the only one not optimistic after the practical was over.

"I let the cauldron catch on one side; the smell was affected" he said gloomily "It'll drop me a grade I'm afraid, though I think it still works."

"Did you decant quickly from the unburnt side?" said Sephara. Tony nodded "Then you're probably all right" said Sephara "Once you've got the euphoria elixir right it resists the changes due to spoiling so you've got an excellent chance of nobody noticing."

Tony brightened.

"Thanks" he said "I'll still put my heart into the written of course but now I shan't feel so desperate going into it."

"Where did you find that out?" Myrtle asked Sephara as they washed their hands.

"I made it up. Sounded convincing, didn't I? Tony gets in such a state over exams, if he'd worried about his practical he'd have made a fearfully bad showing in the written and dropped a grade or even failed."

"That's really clever!" said Myrtle "And awfully quick thinking!"

Sephara grinned.

"Tony's a nice kid" she said "We gotta look out for him."

oOoOo

The written exam was generally reckoned pretty good too.

One long question was on Golapott's third law, which applicants were expected to cite and discuss with examples given. Golapott's law was known to all of them, that 'the antidote for a blended poison will be equal to more than the sum of antidotes for each of the separate components'. As each of Severus' disciples – in Phineas Nigellus' idiom – added that using a bezoar saved an awful lot of blending and calculating, after having calculated enough to cover the question as well, there was not a lot else to be added.

There were also questions on everlasting elixirs and the numerous pitfalls involved making them, and the rules governing which elixirs were permitted to be made as permanent elixirs and which were not.

And after that on the short questions it was, as Abraxus said, downhill all the way.

Ellie and Kinat were not happy with their answers to the Golapott question; Dione was convinced she had fluffed the everlasting elixirs a bit and Sephara said she hated theory anyway and so long as she could brew Pepperup potion for her future offspring – here she blushed thinking of Neville – she didn't actually care providing she hadn't let Severus down too much.

Dione was relatively elated however; she seemed to have kept apace with the less talented of the other blood group members, and justified Severus' faith in letting her try for a NEWT.

oOoOo

Next was DADA, an exam in which they all expected to do well.

The written covered counter-curses and descriptions of the unforgivable curses; and an essay on which of the three unforgivable curses was the worst and, in the opinion of the candidate, why. There was a note appended to this to the effect that the board did not consider that there was any 'right' answer to this but would judge the arguments of each essay on its merits and the relevant points raised.

Most of the blood group were of the opinion that the worst was the Imperius Curse; since if you were hit by the killing curse you were only dead and nothing more could hurt you and that there were actually nastier ways to die and at least it was quicker – as Hawke put it – than being nibbled to death by pogrebin or savaged by a werewolf or tortured deliberately. Many of them wrote knowledgeably about taking the Cruciatus curse, reminding the examiners that they had stood against Deatheaters four years before, and stated that it was a terrible thing but at least your very soul was not usurped as by the imperius curse.

The MSHG had debated the curses freely and so the arguments were readily to the mind of the candidates.

There was a question for bonus points.

'Describe what a horcrux is and how you would deal with one'

This was easy.

They described the terrible way a horcrux might be made; and wrote rather laconically that its destruction could only be effected by strong magics such as an enchanted weapon made of the purest goblin silver or steel, or by the tooth of a basilisk or similarly magical body part of a magical animal.

The marauders also wrote that the malevolent aura of a horcrux as it feels attack was quite horrible and affected the mind, drawing up pictures to revolt the mind from ideas of destruction of this thing; and that it was possible that even physical attacks might occur. Hawke wrote "the wail of terror and anguish in the mind of the one destroying the evil thing is almost like feeling a dementor up close."

It was to strike a chill through the heart of Madam Marchbanks later when she read the exam papers to mark; that a boy barely eighteen years old should have the clear personal experience of both destroying a horcrux and of feeling a dementor up close.

The bonus question had been added at the last minute; normally such matters were not even spoken of by adult wizards, let alone in school; but in the light of the fight against Voldemort the examination board felt it a valid question to give extra marks to those whose fight against the dark arts had been perhaps more personal than some of previous generations.

Lindie Drew complained afterwards that the last question was unfair and that she had never heard of a horcrux.

"That's why it was a bonus question, idiot" said Kinat, who had no time for the whining of Ravenclaws "So those of us who fought the dark arts for real get credited. You're just a theorist and you hid in the dungeons while the rest of us were killing werewolves; so don't whine that we get a gift of a question."

There was not a lot Lindie could say to that.

oOoOo

The practical was a fairly standard duel whereby the applicants were expected to show the use of non-verbal spells and the proper protections against the two non-fatal unforgivable curses, which for examination purposes only were temporarily forgivable.

They all had their favourite counter curses of course.

Willow just reflected the cruciatus curse after ignoring the imperius curse and turned the examiner into a a bouncing ferret; Hawke and Abraxus also used _speculum_; Hawke released the great Raptor that was his Patronus to claw at the examiner and Abraxus let fly wordlessly –and, in his excitement it has to be said wandlessly – and wrapped the examiner in ropes, thoroughly tickled and wriggling and copying Draco's idea on Dawlish with bats pouting out of his nose and slugs pouring out of his mouth.

Fortunately there were healers on hand for both examiners and pupils, though the experienced fighters of what some laughingly styled Dumbledore's own army did not need medical attention.

Only Sephara fell down a little here, countering the Imperius curse but screaming briefly under the cruciatus curse before managing to let fly with the bat bogey hex, a spell she knew well enough to cast through mists of agony wordlessly to distract the examiner. Sephara then used a tripping jinx, _expelliarmus_ and _levicorpus._

Her fortitude was praised but Sephara knew that she had dropped a lot of marks in the failure to produce a defence, which was after all the name of the game.

"I'm a little slow" she said ruefully.

"Hey, you may drop a grade, but before Krait stole you did you ever think you'd be even TAKING NEWTs?" said Abraxus.

"I didn't think I'd even be taking OWLs" said Sephara

"Then stop sounding like Hermione Granger afraid she's only going to get six 'O's and an 'E'" said Abraxus, giving her a hug.

The rest of the blood group got up their defences – usually the reflecting spell – and Dione, Ellie and Myrtle chose to disarm, bind and langlock the examiner as a probable way of immobilising most people, though keeping their wands at the ready until the test was declared over. Dione was third to go and the examiner asked her,

"How come it is that you people are still vigilant with pointed wands to a helpless subject?"

"Because we've all heard how Hermione Granger lost a duel with her opponent tied, tickled and green because he had the willpower to wandlessly cast a cancelling spell" said Dione "And if he could, so too could an Odessa agent or Deatheater or the like."

"Hmm, quite so" said the examiner.

Kinat's solution to defeating the examiner was to disarm, bind and use levicorpus to hoist him in the air; Romulus used the giant woodlouse solution.

oOoOo

The examiner called them all back in to ask another question.

"Nobody used _stupefy_" he said "Did you forget or was there a reason?"

"Giants and werewolves are immune to it" said Abraxus "We're taught to be creative and suit our spells to situation, but if facing someone who looks human we can't know he's not a werewolf especially since the greatest threat to us now comes from Odessa and its werewolf horde. Using a spell that may be uncertain in effect is sloppy and lazy. We have other more lethal means of dealing with an enemy at our disposal but killing the examiner a little bit is not usually looked upon with favour."

"Indeed? How would you kill someone?"

"Dropping the roof on them would probably work" said Abraxus laconically. "The entrail expelling curse has its uses, and a twisted bubblehead charm filled with cyanide gas, splinching them fatally and deliberately, transfiguration into an inanimate object is not fatal but I've no idea of the trauma it might cause to a reasoning being; tortoises and guinea pigs don't seem to mind, but nobody ever accused either creature of being overly blessed with the smarts."

"Accio something heavy overhead, transfigure the ground to a pit of fire – great to use if you've got something or someone magic resistant, turn the environment against them if you can't hit THEM – endless possibilities" added Hawke. "We've discussed a lot of this sir; Abrax summed up some of the less fanciful ideas. Then there's David Fraser's idea of using _serpensortia_ and turning your snake into a basilisk to kill with a glance, or at least turn to stone if the transfiguration is a little incomplete as his was at the Triwizard."

"I see; thank you for so full an answer" said the examiner who had been jotting notes.

Since all five Ravenclaws had chosen to ignore Remus Lupin's advice to avoid stupefaction they were going to drop points especially after the examiners had spoken to Remus!

oOoOo

It was Ming Chang who had introduced the boggart into the room where the practical examiners withdrew to deliberate; and he owned up when the prefects went on the rampage.

"Just wanted to see if they were up to scratch to deal with dark creatures themselves" he said "Hey, it was only a boggart, not something truly horrible like Seagh Snape's bagpipes animated!"

He was well cuffed on general principles and sent to apologise.

oOoOo

Arithmancy was long, hard and challenging.

This affected Romulus, Willow and Kinat and sundry Ravenclaws, and the three bloodgroupers firmly talked about how easy it was, to irritate the Ravenclaws.

It was stiff but they all felt they had done well, especially in their calculations of the optimal number of wizards to open Diagon Alley, given its dimensions. They had, after all, engaged in a number of rituals themselves.

Willow postulated that the optimal number might have been twelve or thirteen dependant on the luckiness of thirteen for the group involved; but that if there were any doubts in the minds of the participating wizards this might account for the less savoury aspects of Knockturn Alley.

Willow was, when all was said and done, more interested in the esoteric side of arithmancy.

oOoOo

It was during the exams that word came through – with a big double page spread in the 'Daily Prophet' that Samuel Block of the Goblin Relations Office had been found guilty of the wilful murder using the Killing Curse of peaceful Protester Tobak the Quiet and of attempting to use intimidation against the widow and children; and he was also found guilty of kidnap with intent to coerce a cessation of charges against him.

Lucius – who smirked smugly from a particularly good photograph – was quoted as saying that having once heard the story it was easy to corroborate, and that he hoped now that those unfortunate goblins who had been blacklisted for the crime of seeing murder most foul done would be vindicated and offered back their former jobs by the sycophantic lickspittles who had believed one ministry man over many. He spoke too of Gorbrin, who had seen his own father killed unforgivably, and had worked so hard to help support his mother and siblings by teaching himself potioneering.

"Tobak would be proud of the boy" he said "As I am. He is my adopted son now; in the course of my investigations I acquired a more personal interest in the case. And I like to think that Tobak would be pleased to know that all his children will be going to Hogwarts when they are old enough with their step siblings and their half brother Cosmo, who is of course named for the first Malfoy part goblin. And perhaps one day one or more of them will follow in Draco's footsteps to be an Auror. When there are goblins fulfilling the most trustworthy jobs in the realm we can truly say that we are making significant steps in our strivings towards a fair and free community."

The Prophet duly and oleaginously eulogised Lucius, whose photograph sneered gently as the reader read these passages; and spoke empty phrases about moves towards a better society. The reporter reported mournfully that an interview had not been obtained from Gorbrin Malfoy-Tobak since the Headmaster of Hogwarts had blocked it but that a correspondent within Hogwarts had said that Gorbrin was a normal fun-loving little boy who was generally a serious hard working child who was discovering a sense of mischief such as an eleven year old should have now freed from the responsibilities of being the man of the house.

The official correspondent was Willow Prince whose snide style and extreme vocabulary had told the public more about the Triwizard competition than might have been told had the editor understood all the words.

Willow also edited the school magazine, which was more forthcoming about school business than she was to the Prophet!

oOoOo

Willow was not involved in the next exam, geomancy; although the subject of her beloved Padfoot she did not think she could fit it in with the other seven NEWTs she was taking. The Malfoy twins and Ellie were the only bloodgroupers involved in this exam.

The first part involved drawing in on a large scale map the ley lines and suggesting three possible sites in order of suitability magically to site a portkey for transference to a sporting event. The second part was a number of shorter questions, some along the lines of picking the best route by broom from one place to another; the third an essay on the route of the Hogwarts express. "Explain why the Hogwarts express takes the route it does with reference to the factors involved in following the muggle railway line within a parallel space and why there are some total departures from muggle routes into wizarding space" was the title.

Naturally the 'bumpy ride' and the acquisition of a new school ghost due to the passing through a fatal muggle-train crash came up in the answers given to the factors involved in following the muggle routes, as well as the greater ease of passage on routes frequently travelled by sentient minds. Hawke wrote most fluently and knowledgeably; he had studied the Hogwarts express out of interest and enjoyed the question much more than the other two!

The practical involved collecting items from various places around the country in the same way as David had done and that they all found easy enough.

oOoOo

With Transfigurations a larger number of them came together again.

Ellie, Sephara and Dione were NOT taking Transfigurations; the other blood groupers of the year were, in common with four Ravenclaws; Bethan Price of Hufflepuff, who was half leshy; Tigonia Black-Visick, Elisa Mourne, Francis Davenport and Emil Porteous from Slytherin; Kelsie O'Hara, Mark Gribble and Geoffrey Stroulger of Gryffindor. Five Gryffindors, seven Slytherin, four Ravenclaws and two Hufflepuffs made another large class; and Madam McGonagall was proud of all of them.

There were short questions on animagi and human transfiguration, the five exceptions to Gamp's law of transfiguration and a long essay question entitled "it is easier to summon to the want pure energy like light or flames than to give material form to summoned objects. Discuss and expand."

Of course the blood group brought in the fact that even among muggles the concept that matter and energy were the same thing was known at higher levels of education but not generally understood; and discussed that small emanations of energy could be perceived as merely an extension of the instinctive manifestation of magical power exhibited from early childhood, unrefined and raw; that giving summoned objects material form required a higher level of mental discipline in focusing the power but that a higher level still existed in the production of pure energy that was concentrated and beyond the level of energy produced via the heat and energy of the caster's own body. The spells they cited to illustrate this point were the major wards against the fey, which being pure energy disrupted them; and the anti-apparating wards that were a summoned zone of magic disruption in the alternate universe through which apporting bodies travelled.

They forgot that this was a level of knowledge somewhat above NEWT level since they all took it rather for granted.

The practical involved various summoning spells and Willow produced a basket of salad leaves – including nasturtiums – and pointed out that as any idiot could also produce a rabbit that would cook up nicely to go with them it rather made a mockery of Gamp's exceptions and proved him only to be too lazy to cook and unable to see raw coney as food so long as enough energy were channelled to permanence it.

The examiner went slightly pale and murmured something about using one's initiative. Permanency charms were above the usual NEWT level standards.

Those who were animagi were asked to show their forms for bonus points and Willow regained favour by prr'ping and rubbing affectionately around the examiner's legs. Hawke had a pat answer over why a green falcon, explaining it as a muggle literary reference, which was close enough.

The violins were all cheap, mass-produced muggle ones this year; the examinations board were learning.

Willow's cat was a handsome Birman; Hawke, in a fit of perversity, produced a Scottish wild cat, which took a little while to subdue; Abraxus, in a fit of equal perversity produced a kneazle which promptly bit Stroulger; Kinat stuck to a Persian, Romulus went for a calico cat, and Myrtle stuck with a plain mackerel tabby. The other candidates felt slightly pressured into leaving their cats as cats too, even Stroulger; and the examiners were glad of the decision to stick to cheap violins!

oOoOo

The only person taking History of Magic was Sephara; and she enjoyed the exam. She had to pick four essay questions out of the eight listed and chose "Discuss the reasons for the goblin rebellion of 1612"; "Explain the development of the Wizgamot from its earliest informal beginnings"; "Outline the diplomatic overtures taken towards the last surviving giant community in Britain and the reasons for its breakdown" and "Discuss the development of the relationship of the wizarding world with muggles".

Sephara thought she had done as well as anyone might in the exam; and if she was given a lower mark for the conclusions she drew over the goblin rebellion of 1612 then maybe it might again make people think.

oOoOo

Comparitive Magic was also not being taken by many; only Hawke and Ellie of the group, Damian Grant of Ravenclaw and Tigonia Black-Visick of Slytherin.

The question "outline the differences and similarities between the European lycanthrope and the Indian Rakshasa" was a gift. It was only one of many paragraph-length questions but it made Ellie and Hawke grin anyway.

The long question covered the different world view of the beings known to European wizards as the fey and how different perceptions and relationships led to the use of these quasi-embodied spirits by some cultures.

This was essentially a question about the use of Genii and Efreeti and the way the middle eastern wizards acknowledged the power of these beings choosing to purchase favours rather than enforce neutrality.

It was an interesting question and Hawke enjoyed it even if Ellie sighed a few times.

There was no practical section to the comparative magic exam; the one long paper was all there was.

oOoOo

Charms was next; and that was all of them except Sephara. Much of the year were taking this exam.

The questions covered various theories of charms in a short question section then had two long questions, one on memory charms and the other on the Fidelius Charm.

This last was considered by the Marauders to be another absolute gift.

The practical involved covering the examiner and the candidate with an invisibility charm, confunding a group of muggle walkers and using the vanishing charm to get rid of their rubbish. The examinations board had arranged a muggle walking trip specifically for the exam, one of the few times students were permitted to interfere with muggles; and the muggles would be duly rewarded for their unwitting aid by being given a free holiday or a cash prize from the sorts of muggle sources that offered such things.

Willow considered charms her weakest class; but even she was not too displeased with her paper and her performance in the practical.

"Practicals are so much easier than theory" said Abraxus, who agreed with Willow about Charms.

It was one class in which Dione performed better than these high flyers; she had an instinctive understanding of the crafting of spells that did her theory work no harm at all!

It was a tough exam though; and they were all glad it was over!


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

As none of the Blood Group were involved with divination they had a day off. They had all wished good luck to Euphemia Bennett, who had the dubious honour of having shown up early in her career as a seer.

Euphemia, a Gryffindor, was fairly down to earth and was a member of the MSHG and when she failed to have a vision in the crystal ball – such things not being available to order – decided to follow the OWL candidate Tamsin in warning against Odessa. She had a bit more knowledge than Tamsin and let her breathing sound shallow and panicked before crying out 'beware the sons of Grindelwald! In the darkness of ignorance and oppression they come with fire and death!" before swaying and falling on the floor.

This kind of confirmation was what the ministry needed, especially as Euphemia took her written exam a lot more seriously than Tamsin had and unlike the younger girl resisted the urge to make up things like Mars in the house of Draco meant that Grace Snape Malfoy had bought a new rolling pin.

Enchanting was the next examination and that involved Abraxus, Willow and Kinat.

Hawke and Ellie had finished with Charms their last exam; Dione, Sephara, Myrtle, Romulus and Willow still had Herbology to come.

The enchanting paper covered gates, doors and wizarding space in the first half and the importance of matching wands to wizards in the second half. Willow was purring audibly as she wrote about wands and had to be asked to desist by the invigilator.

As a known cat animagus she was given a little more leeway that would otherwise have been the case.

Enchanting doors was, Abraxus thought, a sight easier than writing up the theory.

The practical – for which Willow was almost late because of the dietary requirements of her infants – involved making a muggle shopping trolley fly with perfect control; and coring a wand. The wands the students made were fairly standard and were to be used as school wands to be borrowed by those students who had broken their own wand; they consisted mainly of hazel, ash and oak with unicorn hair, augury and hippogriff feathers as cores.

Naturally Willow shone at the second part of this, though she had no trouble with the first half. Abraxus performed he thought creditably; and Kinat'sshopping trolley handled like a racing broom.

The examiner gave him a strange look at the Biggles-shooting-down-the-Hun noises,

oOoOo

The five taking Herbology were some of the best in the school; and for Sephara it was the one subject she hoped to take an 'O' in. Romulus was the weakest; he was taking it purely to back up his potions. Herbology was a popular choice because Madam Sprout was lenient about who she accepted and until students discovered the nature of the final exam it was often seen as a soft option. It generally had around a fifty per cent fail rate accordingly.

The practical, which was first, was fairly standardised at least in one part; and as it had a high fail rate it was felt unnecessarily cruel to make those students who could not handle the practical aspects sit a written exam only to pass out with the practical.

It involved uprooting a mandrake; and for safety reasons each student went alone.

The students wore earmuffs to prevent themselves from certain death if they muffed it, but the screams if they failed to disable their mandrake properly could still knock them out.

There were two general methods; the brute force method involving banging the pot hard enough to stun the Mandrake, whipping it out quickly and cutting off the leaves to render it inert; and the gentler method reckoned to produce better mandrake juice of easing the earth in the pot, gentling out the root and earth and as the earth fell away stupefying the root as it opened its mouth to howl.

Romulus took the brute force method with a quick _diffindo_ to cut off the leaves.

Myrtle felt experimental. She eased open the earth, cast a tickling charm on her mandrake and pulled it up giggling.

It was not a pleasant noise but infinitely better than screaming. _Diffindo _ killed it quickly and, Myrtle hoped, relatively happy. Myrtle was soft hearted about things like that.

Willow used the classic gentle method; her feeling for potions was perhaps deeper and more born in than Romulus' were.

Sephara did the same as Willow just because she knew it was best; and Dione came up with a new spell that was all her own that was a deep subsonic hum that both stunned the mandrake and shook the soil off it in the pot.

The other task was to re-pot devil's snare plants; a risky business and the students were protected by several invigilators with wands at the ready.

The plant disliked warmth and was repelled by fire. Several students were using bluebell flames to keep their plants under control while they nervously repotted them – a few sustaining burns as they did so – but the Bloodgroup and a few other members of the MSHG created a warm dry zone, especially around the pot so the plant was glad to be removed and snuggled happily into cool wet earth in a new pot.

One then stepped back quickly.

Even Romulus had no trouble with that though he doubted he would get above an 'E' for his brute force method with the mandragora.

Mandragora made Romulus nervous; even knowing that he could stop a dark wizard's spell before the words formed did not give him the confidence to use the gentle method.

When those who had passed out had been taken away to the sick bay, and those who had been burned had equally been treated and lunch had been eaten it was time for the written exam.

The questions covered self motile and semi-sentient plants like screechsnap, Mandragora, Devil's Snare, mobile trees and Huorns.

One question required the candidates to list the self motile plants they knew in order of intelligence labelled 'n' for non-intelligent, 'r' for rudimentary intelligence, 'ss' for semi sentient and 's' for truly sentient.

Mandragora had a rudimentary, animal level intelligence and so came between the two non sentient plants, Devil's Snare and motile trees and Screechsnap, that had some abstract thoughts. Naturally Huorns were sentient.

"And a lot rarer than they used to be before they came poking around at Hogwarts" Romulus wrote "And a jolly good job too."

It was a breeze; and so the blood group all agreed.

Not all their fellows agreed; but then not all their fellows had fought huorns even once let alone twice.

oOoOo

And the exams were over; and the blood group of the upper sixth would be teaching their own school next term; and the junior marauders would be the school's senior marauders.

"And that's a scary thought!" grinned Hawke ruffling Lynx's hair as they lounged around outside with their younger counterparts.

oOoOo

The last excitements of the term were the last Qudditch matches to be played – Slytherin against Gryffindor and Hufflepuff against Ravenclaw – and the visit of St Jodoc's glad to come north for a cooler match.

Gorbrin was excited to play against Gryffindor. Their team was young, but some of them were talented, like Lydia Snape.

It was a close match.

Hawke and Abraxus as opposing keepers were showing off a little at each other; and as Abraxus was marginally the better keeper, the chasers must keep him busy and try to confuse him.

The score stayed neck and neck; the experience of chasers like Romulus and Ed with Gorbrin's speed offsetting a little Abraxus' skill as a keeper and the young Gryffindor chasers not giving Hawke quite as much trouble. The scores crept up, first one team scoring, then the other, never separated by more than thirty points at any time. And the competition for the snitch was between sisters Jade and Lydia Snape.

Jade had the extra year's experience; and, as she later claimed, longer arms and a crazier style. With a wild shriek of excitement both girls dived for the snitch and Jade crashed as her hand closed around it. Game over.

Slytherin would have the cup; played three, won three. Gryffindor had played three won one – Ravenclaw had beaten them through Mei Chang's spirited work as seeker – and the match between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff was to see if there were three in second place or if Ravenclaw would take second position.

Not that there was a great deal of doubt. The Huffers were not a great Quidditch team; and Ravenclaw took them apart, actually managing to look like a great team by comparison as Hawke said unkindly.

oOoOo

The cricket teams played up too. Willow had recovered remarkably quickly from birthing and was positively buoyant. And as she and Ross Tuthill both played inspired games and took a century apiece the first eleven had a well-deserved victory.

The second eleven ended up with a draw when hail stopped play.

"I say, do you often have hail up here at the beginning of July?" asked the St Jodoc's Captain of Games, a freckled youth named Kenneth.

"Only when it isn't foggy" said Willow facetiously. "Out of a clear sky too. Bizarre, but it happens."

It has to be said that the second elevens of both schools were somewhat assuaged in their disappointments by the excellent spread of food the Hogwarts elves laid on.

oOoOo

Next day the 'Daily Prophet' carried another spread, creeping sycophantically about the efficiency of the auror service. This one was about Dimsie Burke's father and his associate Mr Borgin. Burke had been found guilty of trafficking cursed items to unsuspecting people and he and Borgin were standing trial accused of facilitating goblin coursing, kidnapping, and crimes against sentience, a catch-all charge to cover the crimes too bizarre or loathsome for any normal person to even imagine them, as Frank Longbottom had put it when he proposed its implementation.

As Frank Longbottom had suffered one of the worst crimes against sentience anyone had ever heard of – being tortured into insanity with the cruciatus curse – his word was taken seriously.

It had taken time to uncover the evidence; Mr Borgin had been under investigation since he had tried to foreclose on a loan to Mr Davenport, father of Francis and Ralph, if the man did not have his sons warn the goblins at Hogwarts that they were marked for kidnap and punishment. Lucius had loaned Davenport senior enough to pay off the loan so he was not bound by debt-oath; and the younger Davenports would walk through fire for both Lucius and the New Marauders who arranged it. Borgin himself did not arrange or participate in Goblin coursing or muggle coursing but he knew a suspiciously large number of people that the aurors were watching; and they were stretched due to looking out too for the goblin children at Hogwarts.

Krait's solution for those goblin families that were her friends was simple.

She offered high prices to other people in Orme Court, the muggle inhabitants, and moved Ellie's family and Kinat's family into one of the tall houses there when her importunities were accepted by one of the owners who wanted a smaller, more convenient home. Then she hired a couple of bodyguards and placed them in a bedsit in the basement level. It meant too that Grutch was more convenient for working for her; and as Konal was thinking of going into partnership with Grutch as a financial advisor that also made sense, without even considering the pleasure it would bring the children to have their friends close. Orme Court had already had something of a wizarding community; it was worth judiciously building up and if necessary adding a street in wizarding space there. After all David Fraser would want a home for himself and Ellie, and Abraxus for himself and Myrtle and a home for Myrtle's mother now she was becoming rather frail. There would be time to wait before Hawke and Romulus married their girlfriends, and Kinat as yet had no permanent girlfriend – Garjala's efforts to the contrary. Erich too was waiting for Tala to grow up and there would in the future be numerous young Snapes and Malfoys; and Lee Nuffield was talking of having a London Pied-à-terre. Another block broken into flats would do fine; and Krait coveted the discreet and expensive brothel that must once have been a wizarding house to have a magic mirror in there that they had….acquired.

However, this meant that aurors only had to protect Garjala and her father, and Jardak and his family and the Nottingham families; which helped. Jazka and her family came under the protection of Kordach and he offered to pay for bodyguards for Jardak too, which the Auror office gratefully accepted. Several of Kordach's men were hastily deputised as watch wizards and given a crash course on legal means of restraint without breaking knees.

They were as proud as punch and the half-troll even started washing regularly so as not to let down his new dark blue uniform robes.

The news in the Prophet however was necessarily upsetting for Dympna and brought all the hurt back to her just as she was starting to live it down as a peripheral member of Jade's group. Especially when Albert Jackman, backed by the younger boys Zabini and Crabbe, felt he had to needle by asking what crimes against sentience were exactly and what ones Mr Burke had performed.

The younger marauders in Slytherin House, Lynx, Fabian, Jade and Leo left him stuffed under the sofa of the common room, green, wriggling futilely, his legs stuck together and with tiny tentacles covering his face. A simple 'SCRAM' got rid of his younger sycophants.

Jaska, Clem, Erica, Gorbrin and Meliandra merely filled their outside shoes with jelly and placed slugs in an apple-pie bed for them.

Severus however sent for Dimsie.

"Dympna, my child, this is going to be hard for you" he said "I'm afraid your mother has had a total breakdown over this – and I suspect caused partly by Dawlish, we're having that investigated, he's already under suspension but there might be a case for him to answer as well as overzealousness. But she has had to be taken to the Janus Thickey ward at least for the time being; your brothers, whom at least Dawlish felt too young to go after, have been brought to the Hogwarts orphanage, and we feel that will be the best place for you too, for the time being. You have been invited to spend a significant part of the holidays with the Nuffields; and Mrs Nuffield is willing to have Philip and Cecil for a time as well. Lee is planning on explaining about magic to his parents in the first part of the holidays however, and needs time to get them used to the idea, so you will stay in school and as a pupil you will be allowed the run of the castle as much as in term time and you may show Philip around as he is to start next term. Madam Malfoy-Snape and I are the governors of the orphanage, and in the holiday period as in MSHG you may call us Severus and Krait. We will take you to see your mother as soon as the holidays begin; and we will also be seeing to escorting you and Philip in Diagon Alley for the start of the new school year – when that time comes. You need not be concerned about funds; the law only permits those assets that are accrued from illegal activities to be seized, and there is a sizeable amount from inherited monies and legitimate business. Not that you would not be taken care off even if you were penniless, but it is not a problem that you will have to worry about on leaving school. Have you any questions?"

Dimsie shook her head.

"I really don't know where to start asking questions, sir" she said "Everything's just too much of a muddle."

The naturally harsh face of her House Head softened.

"You poor child, you have had many terrible blows lately; if it is any consolation, I think you have come through them both a stronger and a nicer person; the lessons have been hard but you have studied them diligently. I could wish that it did not take misfortune to show the way; but you tread the path bravely. It is easier, is it not, when you have friends to guide your steps when you falter?"

Dimsie nodded.

"Yes sir, it is. I – I had to share with my brothers of course but I was the eldest and the only girl. Daddy always has rather doted on me" she said "I wish he hadn't been involved in those things – whatever they are."

Severus reflected that if Mr Burke had not been so callous about the feelings of others he would not now be facing up to life in Azkaban and nor would his daughter have come to school such a spoilt little bully, taught that might made for right and that money could buy anything even people. However he kept his thoughts on that to himself; she was too young mentally to take that message on board. And there might be too the hope of salvation for Mr Burke if he truly loved his children; love was such a powerful emotion to tap. Severus intended petitioning to see Mr Burke and urging him to cling to the thought of his children to help him through his time in gaol, assuring him they were being well cared for. Hope was a great teacher as well. He smiled at Dimsie.

"At least there are no more Dementors in Azkaban; it will be hard for your father but not soul destroying. That evil is long since put to rest. And the government is resisting the petitions of the governor of Azkaban to bring in pogrebin instead. And with the reforms you will be permitted to write to him, and he to you. Once again the muggles have a lesson to teach us, that reform is sometimes possible and is as important as punishment. Your father loves you; that means that he is not a wholly bad man, merely a little careless of the feelings of others. And you have been brought up a little the same, haven't you?"

Dimsie gasped.

"You mean… I might have ended up a criminal for not really understanding what I was doing was so bad? I mean, I never thought of goblins as people, but Jazka has been so kind…."

Severus smiled gently, and touched her face.

"And so you have averted the chance of falling into the same traps as your father" he said "When you write perhaps you can tell him of Jazka's kindness, and the kindness of a muggle family taking you in for part of each holidays; and show him that people are people and that kindness is what really makes things happen, not money or power. Money and power can help to make things happen; but without kindness the only things they can make happen are negative things which leads to misery and resentment and ultimately violence. Grow in knowledge my child and help to make the world a happier place; and you can begin by welcoming your brothers and help them to see the real truths of life."

"Thank you sir" said Dimsie "May I go and see them now?"

"Yes; you have been excused all end of term exams you have not yet taken; you have already chosen your electives for OWLs so you do not have to convince a professor to take you! Cecil has two companions his age, my cousins, half-brothers, the sons of Madam Ermin, that's Oliver, and Cassius who is the son of Madam Arbuckle who is matron of the orphanage. My ward, George Ingate is also the same age, Jem Ingate's brother. There is a muggle child a year younger; and two muggle girls a year older than Philip, rescued by David Fraser after the disgraceful behaviour of the German sports ministry as I'm sure you remember. Vasilica, the other orphan in the first here is to be adopted by David Fraser on his marriage to Ellie Devlin in a month or so. He takes an interest in the muggle children but it is easier for them growing up alongside a mix of children than in a wizarding family. You will need to be sure your brothers are properly courteous to these young muggles."

Dimsie nodded her head.

"They will not know at first that they are beings" she said "I never knew that muggles could be counted as beings until I stayed with the Nuffields."

Severus sighed.

"So much casual racism through ignorance; and much of the ignorance through mental laziness" he said "On the part of the authorities as much as individuals!"

"I am trying not to be ignorant"

He laughed softly.

"My dear child, you've been making up ground very well. I don't believe I have any more worries about YOU" and he sighed softly "And I trust you to help us to show your brothers the way forward too. Slytherin house has less mindless, bullying blights upon Salazar Slytherin's honour now; and that is a victory even if I cannot reach all of them."

"Porteous, Jackman, Parkinson, the younger Crabbe and Zabini" said Dimsie.

"I'm not about to comment to another pupil" said Severus "But it is my experience that other children always know who to avoid. Besides, it is not your problem; Dimsie in the stories is good at interfering but she is fictional of course, and I fear if you try to emulate her you may get hurt. If you wish to take her path, influence younger children who come in by example, by equal courtesy to all and by showing displeasure towards those who are bullying or racist. As both are a form of selfishness often they go hand in hand; but be aware that some people bully to get their retaliation in first because they are used to being bullied. Not all people have loving parents; in that you are fortunate. Some people bully because they lack understanding of exactly what they are doing or how much it affects people, or cannot understand that others have feelings. You fell into that category; and in some respects so too did a man I have learned to respect; James Potter, wealthy, clever, good at lessons, good at quidditch, unable to understand quiet introverted children and swots and thought they needed shaking out of what he saw as aberrant behaviour. Find out why, where you can, new children might bully. Then you are half way, in many cases, to solving it."

"Should I try to form an Anti-Soppists League?"

"Well you can if you like but generally we call it the MSHG" said Severus. "I'd stay in Jade's gang for now until you are certain you have found your feet; is she or is she not the bossiest in the dormitory?"

Dimsie laughed at the literary reference.

Really, Professor Snape was not that stern underneath!

oOoOo

And then the holidays were upon them all, some returning to loving homes, some to homes less happy than their school and some to remain with the orphanage. The Snapes' wards spent some of the holidays with their guardian but with so many adoptive children and children of their own it was easier on all if they also spent time with other wards and orphans; and Dympna was at least to know Harmony Bloom and her older sister Melody amongst those who stayed for a few weeks to give Severus and Krait something of a break. Melody and Harmony would later go to London to spend time with the Snapes and Melody, as part of Lionel's Bloodgroup, had obtained permission to be a part of a big camp that Lionel was organising for all his friends including little Pearl Brocklehurst to invite her into the Bloodgroup; and Vasilica and Mischa too. They would be missing Alice and Hagrid, Alice having the more pressing matter of her imminent birthing to attend to! Alice and Hagrid were to blood with Vasilica and Mischa before they joined the full group to carry their blood by proxy for Pearl.

None of this, however, did Melody tell Dimsie; the blood group was a private matter. Even her sister did not know for certain; Harmony was Jade's follower through and through and any other group would take second place.

Blood magic would hopefully soon have a better image with the book Severus had written in his dryly humorous manner to explain how blood magic need not be dark magic; with the disclaimer that no unicorns nor virgins were harmed in the research for this book.

David Fraser had written a forward in which he had said that there was no more dedicated a fighter against evil than his former guardian Severus Snape for whom he would willingly lay down his life; which might itself be interpreted as a primitive form of blood magic. He added that despite the customs of those who had participated in blood rituals the consumption of large quantities of cocoa, crumpets and marshmallows were not necessary to a successful outcome but in his opinion that they helped.

The title had been finalised as 'blood magic, love magic'; and Lucius had published it as one of the first offerings from the new publishing house, now almost ready to issue its first newspaper after training reporters to look for facts not speculation. The companion magazine 'Witch and Kitchen' was to be launched with 'Wizarding Times'

Other books had been issued; the exciting school stories by Krait, 'Cassie goes to school', 'Cassie moves up' and 'a muggle in the third'. They were set in a remote wizarding school on a small island in the Irish Sea where Cassie and her friends got up to the sort of mischief that was quite familiar to any Hogwarts student! Not, reflected Dimsie, half way through the first book, that anyone at Hogwarts had ever had the temerity to knock Professor Snape on the head and stuff him half dazed into a cauldron and lock him in a cupboard in mistaking him for a dark wizard as happened to the thinly disguised and lovingly drawn caricature of Professor Snape in the book!

The orphanage had all three books; and Dimsie was looking forward to reading the other two before she went to see the Nuffields with her brothers.

oOoOo

Perhaps happiest to return home – a new home – was Gorbrin, to see the changes wrought on his mother and siblings by plenty of good food, fresh air and freedom from worry. Tanjela, lovely before, looked younger and even more beautiful; and his siblings were no longer scrawny.

And there was baby Cosmo; the tangible proof of the love between stepdad Lucius and his mum. Nobody would replace his real father; but you could love more than once, as Lucius proved with his three wives.

And Gorbrin turned to Lucius and said,

"Oh Dad, I do love you!"

**the end of another year...**


End file.
